Who is David Franz you may well ask; I had never heard of him, and undoubtedly neither have many of you! For any child who has grown up in the shadow of a great man, or who has a father who is a household name, living up to the reputation and being their own person is not easy. That’s probably one of the reasons why David Lehmann, son of the famous Peter Lehmann didn’t ever have any intention of going into the wine business.

David wanted to be is own person and do his own thing, without having to either rely on his fathers name or live in his winemaking shadow. That’s not something that’s easy to do when you are in the same business as your dad, as the inevitable comparisons will always be made.

In David’s own words, “I had half the adults (who always seem to enjoy passing edicts to 8 year olds) telling me that I'd ‘just have to go into wine making…daaarling…’ The Other half seemed to take great pleasure in pointing out that my life would come up 'gravy' if I just jumped aboard the Lehmann Wine Train… Well I took all these comments on board and thought to myself, ‘Screw ‘em, I'll do my own thing!’ From the day, I decided that on I'd tell anyone who asked that I wanted to be a graphic designer.”

However, sometimes your hereditary genes determine that you are destined to do otherwise and no matter how hard you try, you can’t buck destiny. Such is the case with David Franz Lehmann. For the record, Franz is David’s middle name and was inherited from his paternal grandfather, Pastor Franz Julius Lehmann (Frank to his mates).

Winemaking was in his blood and as much as he didn’t want to, destiny’s call could not be avoided.

When David left school he went to university to fulfil his dream as a graphic designer. After 12 months, he wasn't exactly rapt in the course and decided to take a year off. In 1992 David formally entered the wine business (part time) starting off at the bottom. He worked the night shift doing red ferment work at St Hallett. More part-time jobs followed that year and many went back to university for a further 12 months. After two uninspiring years at uni, David realised that his heart was not in it, so he switched courses and enrolled, and finally completed a diploma in hospitality and business management.

In 1997, after marrying Nicki they headed off to South Africa and David completed a vintage there; needless to say his fathers influence did not extend that far. In 1998 he worked as a picker in the Barossa (exciting work) but did find time to play around making his first batch of wine with his brother Phil.

After vintage, by then the wine bug had well and truly bitten, he went from starting “at the bottom” to working at the “grass roots level.” David started full time work as a vineyard hand on a couple of his father’s vineyards. After picking during the 1999 vintage, he scored a job in the winery which left him enough time to “frig around making a bit of (his own) wine.”

By 2003 the ‘enterprise’ was serious enough to move away from the apron strings’ and go it alone, so he moved all his gear to his home and bought or built the other necessary bits and bobs required to make wine.

From start to finish, it is as obvious as a camels fart in a chocolate shop, that David Franz Lehmann is his own man and despite his famous heritage and surname, will do everything in his power to do it his way, no matter how unconventional and quirky that may be. One has to admire that determination.

The first obvious sign to the “outsider” is that David is explicitly trying not to trade on the family name, and that’s evident with the naming of his brand;’ David Franz Wines. The easy way out, in many ways, would be to call the brand David Lehmann, but that would pose the obvious question; is there a relationship to Peter, and the equally obvious comparisons being made. That will not do and David is determined to minimise that situation. If you have a look at his website, you will notice how in describing what he is doing, you are getting David’s “personal” story, in a very intimate way. 

Not long ago, I received an email asking if I wanted to review his wines and the email stated, “I won't give you any further info (other than retail prices) so as to not sully your mind... Good luck with the slurping, I hope they appeal.” This is typical of David; he wants an honest, unbiased opinion and wants his work to stand on its own merits without outside influences coming into play. I admire that character.

When I sent him the copy of the tasting notes, he sent this fascinating email in return, and it gives a wonderful picture and insight to the man. Here is what he said.

“Good fair reviews on the wines... I'm glad you like them and understand what I'm trying to do.

The Larrikin... well yeah it's left of centre alright. It is the sort of wine that is either enjoyed or loathed. As to pricing, I had to stick the $42 price tag on it because of the sheer amount I didn't make (80 cases in total).

Although I am deadly serious when it comes to the production of each wine, this one is still my 'fun blend' as I hope the name indicates. It's the first blend of this style I've commercially released but I've been mucking around with the concept for a while.

I've always made a 'goon' drinker for myself and a couple of the blokes who work in the vineyard with me. Its name is the 'Mal's Blend' but the other more private name I use (TORB’s note: it’s not private anymore) is the 'Fritz blend', and unless you know your Barossa Smallgoods, this won’t mean a lot.

The Mal's Blend is made up off all the odds and sods left over after racking the reds for bottling, which were resettled and thrown together with a half a tonne or so of super ripe Shiraz from my vineyard. Each year we'd scrape together about 200 to 300 litres of the odds and sods which I'd mix together with a hogshead put away from last years blend; I call it the instant solero. Once the blend was together I'd use 300 litres to refill the hogshead, the rest would be bottled. The result was always really good (especially for a goon blend). It has some awesome aged characters bouncing off the vibrant, youthful fruit from the current vintage wine. I got to the point where I was keen to try it commercially.

In 2004 I'd made the second vintage of my Cab Shiraz Grenache Mataro blend and decided that this was going to be the vehicle for my N.V. experiment. I had two hogsheads of the 2003 Blend (incidentally, with this wine all varieties are picked together and co-fermented) to act as the base wine, as well as 1,200 litres of the 2004. I pumped the two together and then filled the three hogsheads for the following year. The balance of the wine was bottled as the first 'Larrikin'.

My original idea was to release the wine within three months of bottling when everything was incredibly fresh and vibrant, but I couldn't help myself and in the end had to put it away to let it cogitate and mellow.

Since then, I bottled the second blend, just before vintage in 2006. The third blend sort of didn't happen. The 2006 wine was made but it took it until January 2007 to finish going through malo. The early 2007 vintage was bearing down like a freight train, so I held off bottling and planned to do the deed after vintage. That's when the next flash of inspiration hit. I've always been a big fan of co-fermentation between different varieties to increase their seamless melding, and now I saw an even better chance. I took my 'instant solero' of '03, '04, '05 and the as yet unmixed 2006 portion, and threw it all together over the freshly picked 2007 fruit together with a bucket of yeast, and really co-fermented it! Post malo I bottled the third blend, which by now was a mix of '03 ,'04 ,'05 ,'06 and '07.

It's bloody nice watching the evolution of the wine as the years have passed. Although I started out as Cabernet dominant (like the one you tried,) the vagaries of vineyard yields have evolved the blend, so that now it's a Grenache Shiraz Cab Mataro... The alcohol is now below 15% and the wine is even more bloody delicious.”

The labels of the wines are quirky and continue the sharing of his intimate story. Here is what the label of the 2002 Benjamin's Promise Shiraz says. "I love vintage. Nicki on the other hand doesn't quite share my enthusiasm. It's not really surprising though when 18 to 20 hours a day tend to be the norm for around two months. As you can imagine special time with the family is spent at the winery. Quite often the kids wander through and lend a hand here and there. Ben especially loves to help reduce the level of overstuffed fermenters. He does this a berry at that time, carefully picking out the unbroken ones that by this stage are full of fizz. You can always tell a successful raid by the volume of Nicki’s yell when she sees the state he is in. Me, I don't mind… I know that these sights tastes and smells as a five-year-old will live with him forever. It's the beginning of the same lifelong love affair as his old man. Barossa Shiraz will always course through his veins.”

Here are the tasting notes for the wines I tried.

David Franz Georgie's Walk 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Aug 07

Eight hundred cases of the wine were produced, and it spent 26 months in American oak and a further two years in bottle prior to being released. It's a modest 13.9% alcohol and sealed with a cork. The bouquet shows dusty notes with off-sweet notes including blueberry. The texture is attractive and the plush, silky tannins sit well in the mouth. It's well-balanced with nothing sticking out, giving it a harmonious nature. Ample-weight with a supple consistency and solid structure, the flavour profile is also attractive. Very black with tarry flavours on the uptake, cassis on the mid-palate, the rating has been knocked down a notch due to the noticeably green sappy finish. Rated as Recommended with *** for value it should soften further with a few more years in the bottle.

David Franz Georgie's Walk 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Aug 07

Intensely dusty characters with a touch of cigar box oak, blackberry, cassis, and black coffee essence. The palate shows the wine to be a true varietal Cabernet in every respect. Flavours of blackberry, cassis, and lots of tarry, coffee oak, lead to a slight bitterness on the finish. The deep, strong fruit has a rock-solid backing from the abundant dusty, long tannins. A muscular-weight firm, tight wine that would have been slightly better with less oak influence but in time, there should be enough fruit to absorb it. This wine should be long-lived and is still a baby; rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value, it will best be drunk after 2012. Sealed with a cork.

David Franz 2002 Alexander's Reward Aug 07

A blend of 75% Cabernet and 25% Shiraz, the wine is sealed with a cork. The bouquet shows cassis, cedar and plum with a dab of spicy tar. The mouth feel is appealing. Deeply-seated, strong fruit is still currently overshadowed by the abundant, dusty, drying tannins, and although the wine is not as big as the Cabernet, it needs time for the fruit to surface. Muscular-weight with a firm consistency and solid structure the wine is very drinkable and even better with hearty food. Leathery, rich dark chocolate dominates the palate but it also expresses cassis, blackberry, and coffee/tar oak characters; the whole package finishes clean with the help of fresh acid. After extended airing, there is a slight green sappiness to the finish, but if it does not receive extended airing, you probably won't notice it. Rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value, it should peak around 2012.

David Franz 2001 Benjamin's Promise Shiraz Sept 07

The bouquet is restrained showing blackberry, dark chocolate and vanillin oak. It sits well on the mouth and has a nice balance. Spicy oak on the uptake with blueberry, blackberry, dark chocolate, coffee and a slightly herbal finish that does not detract, the fruit could have been a tad riper. Ample-weight with a supple consistency, solid structure and harmonious, diverse complexity the wine is rated as Recommended with *** for value. Drink over the next four years. Sealed with a cork.

David Franz 2002 Benjamin's Promise Shiraz Sept 07

The bouquet is brooding and very similar to the 2001 but it seems to be a classier drop. Over time, cedary oak emerged. Muscular-weight; the fruit on this baby is perfectly ripe and the supporting silky, tight, almost powdery tannins provide a plush mouth feel and firm but supple consistency. Leathery black plum, dark coffee, dark chocolate and a hint of oregano complete the package. Rated as Highly Recommended with **** for value; happily drink over the next eight years. Sealed with a cork. It's quite possible the rating on this wine may improve; and from a personal perspective, I love the flavour profile of this wine and it's a pity that more Barossa Shiraz is not made in this style.

David Franz NV Larrikin Sept 07

A wacky and unusual blend; it contains Cabernet, Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro from both the 2003 and 2004 vintages. Sealed with a cork. The bouquet shows an ever-changing complexity of red, blue and black fruit aromas together with hints of spice and coconut. Backed by deep, intense fruit the tannins are unobtrusive but provide sufficient backing for this firm and solid masculine wine. The flavour profile is diverse, and whilst it is sweet on the uptake with black cherry, dark coffee and chocolate on the mid-palate it finishes with Cabernet like drying tannins and refreshing acid. The sweet attack means it is eminently drinkable and a great party wine that will be hugely popular, but in reality, it's a bit more serious than that description. Very fresh and youthful, although it should age well, it's thoroughly enjoyable now. Rating such an unusual blend is extremely difficult and although I think it is a very drinkable wine, at $42 it gets ** for value.

The bottles are as individual as the winemaker

In David Franz Lehmann we have gone from someone that didn’t want to be in the wine business to a second generation producer, who is now subtly shaping a possible third generation winemaker. The tradition continues, and if you ever wondered why so many wine producers have children who are wine producers, the experiences and memories that were inculcated in the children by being involved in the winemaking process from the earliest age, are branding the wine makers label on to their forehead, and into their psyche. Long may this tradition continue, and long may independent wine makers be prepared to stand up and do their own thing.