Marcus Hofschuster is Editor-in-Chief and Lead Taster of Wein-Plus, a leading European on-line wine guide, based in Germany. Marcus Hofschuster is the man behind the reputation that Wein-Plus has gained over the past 2 decades. All wines are tasted blind. Marcus Hofschuster uses the 100 points scale.
From time to time, Marcus Hofschuster summarizes his tasting results in a "BEST OF" list. This time, he published a list summarizing his tasting results with regard to German Silvaner from the 2015 and 2016 vintages.
Silvaner in Germany
Sylvaner or Silvaner is primarily grown in Alsace and Germany. In Germany it is best known as a component of Liebfraumilch and production boomed in the 1970s to the detriment of quality, but it has long enjoyed a better reputation in Franconia than in other German wine regions. While the Alsatian versions have primarily been considered simpler wines, it was recently (2006) included among the varieties that can be used to produce Alsace Grand Cru wine together with the four 'noble grapes' of Alsace, although only in one vineyard, Zotzenberg.
This dichotomy is explained by the vigour of the Sylvaner vine and the grape's neutral flavour, which can lead to blandness unless yields are controlled. On the other hand, it gives a blank canvas for the expression of terroir, and on good sites with skilled winemaking, Sylvaner can produce elegant wines. It has high acidity but naturally reaches high must weights, so is often blended with other varieties such as Riesling or Elbling, and is sometimes made into a dessert wine.
First recorded in Germany at Castell in 1659, Silvaner (with an 'i') reached a peak in the 1960s-1970s, with 30% of German vineyards. However overproduction during the Liebfraumilch years ruined its reputation, and it has since retreated to its stronghold in Franconia (Frankenland) (1,425 ha), where on the best chalky Muschelkalk terroir it can produce wines that can compete with the best German white wines which usually are made out of the Riesling grape. These powerful wines are considered food-friendly and are often described as having an "earthy" palate. Under VDP Erste Lage/Grosses Gewächs rules, Silvaner may be used for Grosses Gewächs wines (top-end dry wines), but only in Franconia and Saale-Unstrut and not in any of the other 11 German wine regions. Silvaner is also grown in Rheinhessen (2,486 ha) and Palatinate, and is sometimes also made into dessert wine.[9] Currently there are 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) in Germany, just 5.9% of the total area under vine.
Marcus Hofschuster: Silvaner 2015 and 2016
Marcus Hofschuster: Die Silvaner-Szene ist weiter in Bewegung. Dass vor allem die rheinhessischen Winzer immer weiter zu den Franken aufschließen, ist langsam nichts Neues mehr; aber auch innerhalb Frankens herrscht weiter Aufbruchstimmung. Jedes Jahr entdecken wir neue, junge Winzer mit bemerkenswerten Weinen, während sich altbekannte Betriebe oft weiter steigern.
Das war nach dem exzellenten Silvanerjahr 2014 im schwierigeren 2015 deutlich zu merken. Derart warme Jahrgänge hätten früher gerade in der Spitze viele allzu fette und alkoholische Weine hervorgebracht. Inzwischen haben die besten Produzenten auch solche Bedingungen im Griff, wovon wir uns ganz aktuell anhand vieler aktuell probierter 15er Topsilvaner - auch das ein begrüßenswerter neuer Trend - überzeugen konnten. Die fallen zwar durchaus immer wieder recht kräftig aus, aber nurmehr sehr selten so schwer und mächtig wie in früheren Hitzejahren.
2016 kam dem Silvaner wieder deutlich entgegen, was sich auch in einer so wohl noch nie dagewesenen Serie an Spitzenweinen niederschlägt. Besonders auffällig ist, dass es sich hier längst nicht nur um Grosse Gewächse oder ähnliche Prestigeweine handelt; auch erheblich preiswertere Silvaner, etwa aus den mittleren Qualitätslinien der führenden Betriebe, aber genauso von weniger bekannten Erzeugern, zeigten in der Verkostung ein bisher nicht dagewesenes Niveau und landeten zuweilen auf vordersten Plätzen.
Mehr als 250 Weine haben wir heuer für dieses BEST OF probiert. Die besten von Ihnen haben wir hier aufgelistet und wie immer zu einem handlichen PDF verarbeitet.
Christian Schiller's Translation: The Silvaner scene is still on the move. The fact that in particular the winemakers from the Rheinhessen region continue to catch up with the winemakers from Franken is by no means new; but there is also a movement with Franken. Every year we discover new, young winemakers with remarkable wines, while well-known companies often improve further.
This was clearly noticeable after the excellent Silvaner year 2014 in the difficult 2015 year. Such warm vintages would have produced in the past many too fatty and alcoholic wines, particularly at the top. The best producers have learnt how to handle such conditions. That became obvious when we tasted the 2015 vintage top Silvaners - a welcome new trend. Although they are always quite strong, but only very rarely as heavy and powerful as in previous hot years.
In 2016 was a good year for Silvaner, which is reflected in such an unprecedented number of premium wines. Particularly noticeable is that the elevate quality is not just a trend in the premium segment. Also the significantly less expensive wines, from the middle quality level of the leading producers, but also from lesser-known producers, showed in the tasting an unprecedented quality level.
More than 250 wines were tasted this year for this BEST OF Silvaner list. The best of them we have listed below.
BEST OF Silvaner 2015 and 2016
WP stands for Wein-Plus points.
2016
94WP Escherndorf Am Lumpen 1655 GG, Horst Sauer
92+WP Escherndorf Am Lumpen 1655 GG, Rainer Sauer
92WP Rödelsee Küchenmeister GG, Weltner
92WP Würzburg Stein-Harfe GG, Bürgerspital
92WP AB OVO, Rainer Sauer
92WP Stetten Stein GG, Am Stein
91WP Thüngersheim Johannisberg GG “Rothlauf”, May
91WP Würzburg Stein Erste Lage, Bürgerspital
91WP Würzburg Stein GG, Staatlicher Hofkeller
91WP Escherndorf Lump Erste Lage “Alte Reben”, Rainer Sauer
91WP “L”, Rainer Sauer
91WP Querkopf, Schätzel
90WP Sulzfeld Maustal GG, Zehnthof-Luckert
90WP Escherndorf Lump Erste Lage “S”, Horst Sauer
90WP Escherndorf Fürstenberg Erste Lage Blauer Silvaner “S”, H. Sauer
90WP Gau-Algesheim Goldberg, Bischel
90WP Randersacker Sonnenstuhl GG, Wilhelm Arnold
90WP Würzburg Stein GG, Bürgerspital
90WP Hoch 3, Am Stein
89WP Großheubach Bischofsberg, Kremer
89WP Volkach Ratsherr “The Egg”, Daniel Then
89WP Holznagel, Nagel
89WP Gau-Algesheim Terrassen, Bischel
89WP Escherndorf Lump Erste Lage, Rainer Sauer
89WP Sehnsucht, Horst Sauer
89WP Retzstadt Langenberg GG “Himmelspfad”, May
89WP Retzstadt Langenberg Erste Lage, May
89WP Ihringen Fohrenberg, Dr. Heger
89WP Iphofen Julius-Echter-Berg Erste Lage, Ruck
89WP Großheubach Bischofsberg, Hamdorf
2015
92WP Rödelsee Küchenmeister GG “Hoheleite”, Weltner
92WP Iphofen Julius-Echter-Berg GG, Wirsching
92WP Silex, Kraemer
91+WP Escherndorf Am Lumpen 1655 GG, Rainer Sauer
91WP Escherndorf Am Lumpen 1655 GG, Horst Sauer
91WP Iphofen Julius-Echter-Berg GG, Juliusspital
91WP Iphofen Kronsberg GG, Wirsching
91WP Iphofen Julius-Echter-Berg GG, Ruck
91WP Der Held, Weigand
91WP Réserve, Riffel
91WP Würzburg Stein GG, Staatlicher Hofkeller
90+WP Sulzfeld Maustal GG, Zehnthof-Luckert
90WP Homburg Kallmuth GG “Asphodill”, Fürst Löwenstein
90WP Querkopf, Schätzel
90WP Sehnsucht, Horst Sauer
90WP Gau-Algesheim Goldberg, Bischel
90WP Harxheim Lieth, Werther Windisch
90WP Würzburg Stein GG, Bürgerspital
89+WP Stetten Stein GG, Am Stein
89WP Würzburg Stein GG, Juliusspital
89WP Wiesenbronn Wachhügel “Vis-à.vis”, Grebner
89WP Iphofen Julius-Echter-Berg Erste Lage “R”, Weltner
89WP Sommerhausen Steinbach-Alttenberg 1172 GG, Schloss Sommerhausen
89WP Volkach Ratsherr GG, Zur Schwane
Picture: Christian Schiller Tasting with Kai Schätzel at Weingut Schätzel, see: A New Fixture in the Reemerging Red Slope of Nierstein - Visiting Kai Schaetzel and his Weingut Schaetzel in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Germany
Sweet Wines
95WP 2015 Retzstadt Langenberg Erste Lage TBA, May
89WP 2015 Sommerach Katzenkopf BA, Then
89WP 2015 Sulzfeld Maustal Auslese, Brennfleck
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