Silvaner say what

R

Rahsaan

Rahsaan
One of my favorite Berlin wine merchants introduced me to a new Franken winemaker today, and I took home a delicious bottle of 2023 Weingut Ottenbreit Hucklkätz Silvaner.

A modern wine in the natural mode, unfiltered, juicy and hazy and still smelling a bit of the elevage. BUT, also showing plenty of the tart tangy mineral herbal silvaner notes that you would expect. Juicy and incisive, a brilliant combo. Overall a very intriguing interpretation of silvaner, so I'm open to learning more about this young winemaker, who has a wide range of cuvees.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
Silvaner say whatOne of my favorite Berlin wine merchants introduced me to a new Franken winemaker today, and I took home a delicious bottle of 2023 Weingut Ottenbreit Hucklkätz Silvaner.

A modern wine in the natural mode, unfiltered, juicy and hazy and still smelling a bit of the elevage. BUT, also showing plenty of the tart tangy mineral herbal silvaner notes that you would expect. Juicy and incisive, a brilliant combo. Overall a very intriguing interpretation of silvaner, so I'm open to learning more about this young winemaker, who has a wide range of cuvees.
Click to expand...

We visited last year and very much enjoyed the whole range of wines. Apart from a really good Sylvaner there was also an excellent dry Scheurebe. Considering that he has just a few vintages under his belt this was impressive. I only hope he will drop his habit of giving the wines cutesy names like "Scheu to the world"..
 
originally posted by georg lauer:

We visited last year and very much enjoyed the whole range of wines. Apart from a really good Sylvaner there was also an excellent dry Scheurebe. Considering that he has just a few vintages under his belt this was impressive. I only hope he will drop his habit of giving the wines cutesy names like "Scheu to the world"..
Click to expand...

That is good to hear. I have great respect for this wine merchant, who has introduced me to several wineries ahead of the curve/before they became famous.

And this wine was good.

But when I checked out the Ottenbreit website, it did give me pause, because of some of that silliness!
 
Another dose of 2023 Silvaner, via Leipold's Keuper. Delicious juicy and friendly, although not in the same hazy unfiltered natural mode as the Ottenbreit. Instead, greater clarity, nice mineral intensity, but also easy and ready to accompany your meal/morning/afternoon/evening...
 
Finishing up a run of sylvaner, I enjoyed the 2022 Weltner Rödelseer Küchenmeister Sylvaner Erste Lage over two days. Much more of a classic profile than the Ottenbreit and the Leopolds. Clear salty mineral with great firm body and length, but with that herbal sylvaner tone to remind you of the grape. Very firm but never severe. Always delicious. Very impressive.

Not sure if sylvaner will break into the top ranks of grapes for the geeks to follow, but there is so much to taste and enjoy.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:

Not sure if sylvaner will break into the top ranks of grapes for the geeks to follow, but there is so much to taste and enjoy.
Click to expand...
Fine with me -- I love it and it's already fairly expensive because there really isn't enough to go around as it is, especially Franken Silvaner.
 
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
...it's already fairly expensive because there really isn't enough to go around as it is, especially Franken Silvaner.
Click to expand...

Really? You think there's a scarcity factor that drives up Silvaner prices relative to other grapes? Is that for export or domestically?

I can't claim to know the market very broadly, but the price lists for Franken winemakers that I can remember had the Silvaners at the same price as the Rieslings.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
...it's already fairly expensive because there really isn't enough to go around as it is, especially Franken Silvaner.
Click to expand...

Really? You think there's a scarcity factor that drives up Silvaner prices relative to other grapes? Is that for export or domestically?

I can't claim to know the market very broadly, but the price lists for Franken winemakers that I can remember had the Silvaners at the same price as the Rieslings.
Click to expand...
Some amazingly high percentage (90%?) of Franken Sylvaner is sold/consumed within a radius of 100 km of the producer; as a result, importers have told me, they have to pay full retail for Franken wines, which is not the case for wines from other regions.
 
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
Some amazingly high percentage (90%?) of Franken Sylvaner is sold/consumed within a radius of 100 km of the producer; as a result, importers have told me, they have to pay full retail for Franken wines, which is not the case for wines from other regions.
Click to expand...

Yes, I've heard that. So it's technically more of a Franken thing than a Sylvaner thing, which makes sense.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
Some amazingly high percentage (90%?) of Franken Sylvaner is sold/consumed within a radius of 100 km of the producer; as a result, importers have told me, they have to pay full retail for Franken wines, which is not the case for wines from other regions.
Click to expand...

Yes, I've heard that. So it's technically more of a Franken thing than a Sylvaner thing, which makes sense.
Click to expand...
Yes, here in SF I can get good Rheinhessen Silvaner for very reasonable prices -- but it ain't the same as Franken Silvaner.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top