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.
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
Vintage 2018
WP stands for Wein-Plus Points.
93WP Maustal GG, Zehnthof Luckert
93WP “Ab Ovo”, Rainer Sauer
92WP Himmelspfad GG, May
92WP Am Lumpen 1655 GG, Horst Sauer
92WP Küchenmeister GG “Hoheleite”, Weltner
91WP Langenberg VDP Erste Lage, May
91WP Stein GG, Knoll
91WP Am Lumpen 1655 GG, Rainer Sauer
90WP Pfülben GG, Schmitt’s Kinder
90WP Stein GG, Staatlicher Hofkeller
90WP Kallmuth GG “Asphodill”, Fürst Löwenstein
90WP Rothlauf GG, May
90WP “Vinz Alte Reben”, Knoll
90WP Stein-Harfe GG, Bürgerspital
90WP Am Lumpen 1655 GG, Zur Schwane
90WP “Der Schäfer” VDP Erste Lage, May
90WP Hohnart VDP Erste Lage, Fürstlich Castell’sches Domänenamt
90WP Probstey, Thörle
90WP Alte Reben “#nofilter”, Neumeister
89WP Sonnenberg “Gelbkalk”, Zehnthof Luckert
89WP Am Lumpen 1655 GG, Fröhlich
89WP Pfaffenberg VDP Erste Lage, Bürgerspital
89WP Rossthalber VDP Erste Lage, May
89WP Nierstein VDP.Aus Ersten Lagen, Schätzel
89WP Vögelein “Edle Rebe”, Rudloff
89WP Hohen-Sülzen VDP.Ortswein “Leopold”, Battenfeld-Spanier
89WP Lump VDP Erste Lage “S”, Horst Sauer
89WP Kronsberg VDP Erste Lage “Alte Reben - Trias”, Ruck
88WP Stein “Grenzstein”, Höfling
88WP Saulheim “Kalkstein”, Thörle
88WP Gau-Algesheim VDP.Ortswein “Terrassen”, Bischel
88WP Würzburg VDP.Ortswein, Bürgerspital
88WP Marsberg “Alte Reben”, Bardorf
88WP Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Garlider
88WP Westhofen “Alte Reben - pour toujours”, Wechsler
88WP Rödelsee VDP.Ortswein, Weltner
88WP Innere Leiste VDP Erste Lage, Büergerspital
88WP “Fass 27”, Bastian Hamdorf
88WP Lump VDP Erste Lage, Rainer Sauer
88WP Heller Berg VDP Erste Lage “G”, Roth
88WP Julius-Echter-Berg VDP Erste Lage “Trias”, Ruck
88WP Fürstenberg VDP Erste Lage, Schäffer
88WP Escherndorf VDP.Ortswein “Muschelkalk”, Rainer Sauer
88WP Fürstenberg VDP Erste Lage “S”, Horst Sauer (Blauer Silvaner)
88WP “Kalb Alte Reben”, Ilmbacher Hof
88WP Küchenmeister VDP Erste Lage, Juliusspital
88WP Sonnenstuhl Spätlese trocken “Alte Reben”, Schmachtenberger
88WP Kalb VDP Erste Lage “Trias”, Ruck
88WP Teufelskeller VDP Erste Lage, Staatlicher Hofkeller
88WP Nackenheim VDP.Aus Ersten Lagen “x.t.”, Gunderloch
88WP “Tempus et Spatium”, Borst
88WP Lump, Braun
88WP Stein VDP Erste Lage, Knoll
88WP Kronsberg VDP Erste Lage, Juliusspital
88WP Stein VDP Erste Lage, Juliusspital
88WP Altenberg, Heid
Vintage 2017
91WP Julius-Echter-Berg GG, Juliusspital
91WP Julius-Echter-Berg GG “Trias”, Ruck
90WP “Indigenius”, Rothe
90WP Johannisberg GG “Rothlauf”, Bickel-Stumpf
89WP Am Lumpen 1655 GG, Schäffer
89WP Kronsberg GG, Wirsching
89WP Julius-Echter-Berg GG, Wirsching
89WP Lump VDP Erste Lage “Maische”, Horst Sauer
89WP VDP.Gutswein “Sehnsucht”, Horst Sauer
88WP “Alte Reben”, Roth
88WP Ratsherr GG, Zur Schwane
88WP Küchenmeister “Der Küchenmeister”, Weigand
88WP Lump VDP Erste Lage, Schäffer
88WP Landsknecht Spätlese trocken “Gässberg”, Leipold
88WP Sonnenstuhl GG “Konsequent R”, Trockene Schmitts
88WP Stein GG, Juliusspital
88WP Mönchshof GG, Bickel-Stumpf
Older Vintags
90WP 2016 Schlossberg GG, Fürstlich Castell’sches Domänenamt
89WP 2016 Réserve, Riffel
88WP 2016 Lützeltalerberg “Carus Granit”, Giegerich
88WP 2016 “Fass N°1”, Dahm
88WP 2012 Langenberg “Recis 1963”, May
Fruity-Sweet and Noble-Sweet
95WP 2018 Kronsberg TBA, Ruck
94WP 2017 Marsberg TBA, Bardorf
88WP 2018 Landsknecht Auslese, Leipold
schiller-wine: Related Postings
UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: November 1, 2019)
Announcement: Upcoming ombiasy Wine Tours 2020 - (1) Alsace and Germany South, (2) Rhône Valley, (3) Bordeaux
Annual Riesling Party at the Schiller Residence in Washington DC, USA (2019)
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut Zehnthof Luckert, in Sulzfeld, Franken, with Philipp Luckert - Germany-East Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture, History - Berlin, Saale-Unstrut, Sachsen, Württemberg, Franken
Germany’s Grosses Gewächs GG Wines Released (2015 White and 2014 Red) - Notes from the Pre-release Tasting in Wiesbaden, Germany
A New Fixture in the Reemerging Red Slope of Nierstein - Visiting Kai Schaetzel and his Weingut Schaetzel in Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Germany
Lunch cum Tasting with Nanne Schätzel, see: Tour, Tasting, and Lunch at Weingut Schätzel in Nierstein, Rheinhessen – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)
Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Weingut Horst Sauer in Eschendorf, Franken, with Horst Sauer - Germany-East Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours
Visit and Tasting at Weingut Am Stein Ludwig Knoll in Würzburg, Franken - Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Tour and Tasting at Weingut Wirsching in Iphofen in Franken with General Manager Uwe Matheus– Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)