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2016 Riesling Retzstadt
£14.90 per Bottle
£89.42 per Case
£9.75 per Bottle
£58.50 per Case
Bottle - 75cl
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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.
2022 was the opposite of 2021; instead of a rainy growing season with severe disease pressure, the very dry summer forced the Mays to irrigate some of their stonier vineyards. Even then many young vines died.
The key to success was old vines, whose roots were able to access water deep in the soil. Very little vine treatment was required, as it was too dry for diseases to take hold, and the grapes, though small were beautifully healthy.
The harvest began on 1 September, long before anyone else in the area, and most of the fruit was brought in before the rains began on 12 September. As normal in dry years, fermentation took longer than usual, with some casks still going strong in the spring. Over the years the Mays have reduced the quantity of sulphur they use, and now only add a minimal amount just before bottling. The wines are cool, lean and refreshing – quite a surprise in such a warm year.
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£14.90 per Bottle
£89.42 per Case
£9.75 per Bottle
£58.50 per Case
Bottle - 75cl
+ Add item