(Manfred Klimek / Björn Grebner)
It is not a story of a straight line, but one of twists and turns – of courage, mistakes and, ultimately, a more intimate and better conclusion. Born in 1996 out of an understandable longing: three winemakers, three visions, a single dream: an Austrian red wine that set out to create its own Tignanello. Not a copy, but an Austrian counterpart to Antinori’s cult Tuscan blend: international, powerful, export-worthy. Yet more than just a name inspiration, it was a gamble: a Blaufränkisch-dominated blend with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon – a hybrid of the continent and cult status.
The minds behind the idea were as diverse as they were passionate: Tibor Szemes, the south-eastern pioneer of Burgenland red wine, whose focus had always been on the indigenous Blaufränkisch grape; F. X. Pichler, the great white wine virtuoso from the Wachau; and Manfred Tement, the Styrian who took Sauvignon and Morillon to new international heights. Together, they aimed to produce 300,000 bottles of Arachon and, with the help of the Horitschon winegrowers’ co-operative, send them out into the world – a figure that, in the late 1990s in Austria, sounded more like a revolution than a wine project.
The first vintage was bottled in 1998. But the true story of wine rarely follows a straightforward path. Tibor Szemes, the uncrowned ambassador of Blaufränkisch, died unexpectedly young – a setback that put the project to the test. The ambitious plans fizzled out, the large, expensive building reverted to the sole use of the winegrowers’ cooperative – and the 300,000 bottles remained a mirage, a ‘what might have been’. Yet something else – something far more valuable – grew out of this setback.
Today, Oscar Szemes is at the helm. Not as the executor of a plan, but as the creator of Arachon’s own philosophy. In the most recent vintages, from 2018 to 2021, Oscar has streamlined the cuvée: Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon have been reduced from just over 20 per cent – once the corrective and anchor of hope – to around 7 per cent. The result is no longer an international blend in the classical sense, but a warmer, earthier and ‘redder’ wine that shakes off the green notes of the Cabernet and brings the unadorned character of the Blaufränkisch to the fore – without wildness, but with precision.
Arachon 2018
The first vintage of the new balance. On the nose: dark cherry, sloe, a hint of graphite, along with that Burgenland earthiness which does not feel heavy but rather supportive. On the palate, it is calm, dense and astonishingly composed. The fruit is ripe but not sweet; the structure is present without being overpowering. The Cabernet is barely noticeable – and that is precisely what does the wine good. 2018 is the vintage in which Arachon begins to find its true identity.
Arachon 2019
A vintage full of intrigue. Cooler in expression, more precisely defined. More spice, more darkness, less opulence. Black pepper, dried herbs, dark berries, a subtle mineral note. Tighter on the palate than the 2018, with a long, clean finish. Here, the Blaufränkisch demonstrates its capacity for discipline without becoming brittle. An Arachon for those who love structure.
Arachon 2020
Perhaps the most harmonious of the four. Warmth, depth, but no heaviness. Ripe cherry, plum, a hint of cocoa, a touch of forest floor. Everything feels rounded, natural, almost too natural – until you realise just how precisely it’s all constructed. The reduction of Merlot and Cabernet really pays off here: the wine is earthy, red-fruity, calm, with a great inner core. A vintage that will last a long time.
Arachon 2021
The youngest – and perhaps the most distinct. Fresher, tighter, with an almost youthful energy. Red berries, sour cherry, delicate herbs, a cool undertone. On the palate, it is linear and focused, with fine tannins and plenty of length. Still young, not quite settled yet, but with noticeable ageing potential.
What remains, what heralds the future – even in difficult times for red wines – is a great, long-lived Blaufränkisch with international appeal, yet a regional heart. Arachon currently costs 33–35 euros – and is a real bargain compared to what it offers in the glass: depth, spice, a dense core, clear fruit and a solid structure. No playing with rough edges, but a confident statement: Blaufränkisch can be grand, serious and sophisticated without becoming contrived.
Arachon has not become a myth of perfection. But perhaps that is precisely why it is one of the most exciting red wines from Austria of the new millennium: a wine born of the tension between vision and reality, of loss and reclaiming, of understanding others and understanding oneself. It demonstrates that great wines are not necessarily born of perfection, but of the bold attempt to rise above oneself whilst at the same time finding one’s way back to oneself – in Blaufränkisch.