Steiner Silvaner 20-23

Wine Description for Steiner Silvaner 20-23 by Schätzel

Colour & Appearance

Luminous golden yellow with subtle cloudiness and bright reflections – a wine that wears its artisanal heritage openly.

Nose

The nose is distinctive, complex and immediately captivating. Chamomile dominates like a fresh herbal infusion – intense, almost meditative. Joined by anise, fennel seed and a whisper of artichoke, which lend the wine an unmistakable herbal depth. Delicate fruit – mirabelle plum, apricot – flashes briefly before allspice, cinnamon, clove and white pepper take centre stage. Fresh herbs such as sage, thyme and mint meet a slightly bread-like note of sourdough crumble. Multi-layered, provocative, absolutely worth discovering.

Palate

On the palate, a wine with character unfolds: taut, structured and threaded through with vibrant, driving acidity. Far from opulent – rather purist and austere, yet with a pull that won’t let go. Orange blossom and mandarin zest bring floral freshness into play, which enlivens and enchants. The wine asserts itself – in the cheeks, in the memory.

Finish

Long, precise, with lingering spice and floral resonance. A finish that poses questions – and refuses answers. Magnificent.

Terroir & Origin

The grapes come from the steep vineyard sites at Nackenheimer Rothenberg and the Grand Cru Hipping in Rheinhessen – both shaped by the characteristic Rotliegendes, that red slate stone which gives Rheinhessen Silvaner its mineral tension. Own-rooted vines, shaded aspect, extreme slope: Here grows no wine for the easy path.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Pure Silvaner, vinified as a Solera from the vintages 2020 to 2023 – the first release ever from this system. Hand-harvested, foot-trodden grape crushing, 36 hours cold maceration. Spontaneous fermentation and malolactic fermentation in a 1,200-litre oak barrel, followed by maturation under flor yeast. At least 30 months of ageing. With just 11.0% vol., a wine of rare lightness despite all its depth.

Special Features

This is the maiden wine of Schätzel’s Silvaner Solera – a debut with fanfare. The combination of flor yeast maturation, own-rooted vines and the Solera principle is extraordinarily rare in German winemaking. If you want to rethink Silvaner, you begin here.

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