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.