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About This Producer

Weingut Rudolf May

Wines By This Producer
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  • About the Producer

    Rudolf May founded his estate in 1998 with two hectares, and through hard work and focus on quality has grown it to sixteen and a half. His main interest has always been Silvaner, and he is one of only a few growers to demonstrate that this often-overlooked varietal can produce distinctive wines with ageing potential. May’s Silvaners are the finest in Germany, his poor, fossil-rich soils enabling him to make very fine, pure, mineral-driven wines. He believes in minimal intervention, and in 2016 he and his son Benedikt (who apprenticed at Mosbacher), adopted organic methods. They are already noticing that the vines are now more resilient and balanced –needing, for example, to use far less sulphur to stabilise them.

    In 2020, they sold off over two hectares of lesser vineyards and purchased one and a half hectares in the Benediktusberg, a 1. Lage (1er cru) site which may soon win recognition as a GG.

    Silvaner has a mixed reputation in the UK, deemed a poor second to Riesling, but this is changing, and demand for May wines increasing rapidly, no doubt helped by the fact that Silvaner is a perfect reflector of terroir, particularly adept at showcasing Franken’s shell-limestone soils. We tasted Silvaner GGs the length and breadth of Franken this year: the finest, most balanced, energy-laden and long were made by Rudolf May.

    This is an estate firmly established in the top rank.

     

  • About the Latest Vintage

    The Mays had their work cut out in 2021. Although they were spared frost, the rainy growing season brought continuous attacks of downy mildew, against which organic treatments have only a short-lived effect. Intense vigilance and a carefully monitored spraying strategy were required, but even then the crop was damaged, with a 30% reduction in yields and delayed ripening,

    further exacerbated by cool temperatures. At the end of August a certain pessimism crept in: ‘I looked at the vines and doubted whether the fruit would ever ripen,’ said Rudolf. But the weather turned at the beginning of September: warm dry conditions enabled the grapes to accelerate ripening, and by the end of September they were ready for harvest. This began on 25th and finished on 12th October.

    Against all odds, the Mays have made a lovely set of wines. They are cool, poised and balanced, with tremendous energy and delicacy. It is too early for Rudolf to consider it a great vintage, but in the meantime he will settle for declaring it excellent, with good ageing potential.

Wines By This Producer

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  • 2017 Silvaner Retzstadt [08 18]

    Weingut Rudolf May

    £15.50 per Bottle

    £93.04 per Case

    £10.69 per Bottle

    £64.14 per Case

    Bottle - 75cl

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  • 2020 Himmelspfad Silvaner GG [13 21]

    Weingut Rudolf May

    £39.95 per Bottle

    £239.70 per Case

    £31.06 per Bottle

    £186.36 per Case

    Bottle - 75cl

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  • 2021 Himmelspfad Silvaner GG [15 22]

    Weingut Rudolf May

    £43.48 per Bottle

    £260.87 per Case

    £34.00 per Bottle

    £204.00 per Case

    Bottle - 75cl

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  • 2021 Silvaner [04 22]

    Weingut Rudolf May

    £12.95 per Bottle

    £77.70 per Case

    £8.56 per Bottle

    £51.36 per Case

    Bottle - 75cl

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  • 2021 Silvaner Benediktusberg 1. Lage [11 22]

    Weingut Rudolf May

    £24.28 per Bottle

    £145.67 per Case

    £18.00 per Bottle

    £108.00 per Case

    Bottle - 75cl

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  • 2021 Silvaner Retzstadt [05 22]

    Weingut Rudolf May

    £14.95 per Bottle

    £89.70 per Case

    £10.23 per Bottle

    £61.36 per Case

    Bottle - 75cl

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  • 2021 Silvaner Retzstadter Langenberg 1. Lage ‘Der Schäfer’ [14 22]

    Weingut Rudolf May

    £29.08 per Bottle

    £174.47 per Case

    £22.00 per Bottle

    £132.00 per Case

    Bottle - 75cl

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  • 2021 Silvaner Retzstadter Langenberg 1. Lage [12 22]

    Weingut Rudolf May

    £20.50 per Bottle

    £123.00 per Case

    £14.85 per Bottle

    £89.11 per Case

    Bottle - 75cl

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