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The Silvaner Grape
(Synonyms: Arvine, Arvine Grande, Augustiner Weiss, Beregi Szilvani, Boetzinger, Clozier, Cynifadl Zeleny, Cynifal, Fliegentraube, Franken Riesling, Frankenriesling, Frankentraube, Fueszeres Szilvani, Gamay blanc, GentilvVert, Gros Rhin, Gros-rhin, Gruenedel, Gruenfraenkisch, Gruen Silvaner, Grüner Silvaner, Grüner Sylvaner, Grünfraenkisch, GrünSilvaner, Haeusler Schwarz, Johannisberger, Mishka, Momavaka, Monterey Riesling, Moravka, Movavka, Muschka, Mushza, Musza, Nemetskii Rizling, Oesterreicher, Oestreicher, Pepltraube, Picardonblanc, Picardou blanc, Plant Du Rhin, Rhin, Rundblatt, Salfin, Salfine Bely, Salvaner, Salviner, Scharvaner, Scherwaner, Schoenfeilner, Schwaebler, Schwuebler, Sedmogradka, Sedmogradska Zelena, Selenzhiz, Selivan, Silvanske Zelene, Siylvaner, Sonoma Riesling, Syilvaner, Sylvaner, Sylvaner verde, Sylvaner vert, Sylvan Zeleny, Szilvani Feher, Tschafahnler, Yesil Silvaner, Zelencic, Zeleny, Zierfandler, Zierifandel, Zinifal, Zoeldsilvani, Zoeld Szilvani.)
Silvaner (also quite commonly spelled "Sylvaner") is a very old white-wine grape originating in central Europe, most likely in Transylvania; it is today grown throughout central Europe, most notably in Germany (especially Franconia) and Alsace, but also to some extent in Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, and Slovakia, plus Romania (which today includes the former Transylvania). There have been some experiments in the New World, but little is now grown there.
In Germany, the grape's official name is "Grüner Silvaner"; the spelling "Sylvaner" is generally used in Alsace, Switzerland, and Austria, but is very common elsewhere as well (Wikipedia's article is headed "Silvaner" but uses "Sylvaner" throughout its text).
Silvaner at its best can produce top-quality wines that can go head to head against the greatest white, Riesling; unfortunately, it is not commonly at its best, because the grape's natural vigor coupled with its innately neutral taste easily lead producers to grow it for inexpensive bulk wines. (Great amounts of it go into the bland, fungible Liebfraumilch bottlings once so popular as "cheap wine".) But that same neutrality that leads to blandness when vinification is casual also allows dedicated, careful winemakers to express a good deal of terroir. In Alsace, whose Sylvaners are usually rather simple renditions of the grape, there is one large vineyard (Zotzenberg) whose Sylvaner has special dispensation to be used in Alsace Grand Cru wines.
Silvaner wines from the Franconia region of Germany are still typically bottled in the classic Bocksbeutel (shown at the right), though there is a (much regretted) slowly increasing movement away from the shape owing to the difficulties it imposes on long-distance shipping and retail distribution.
Silvaner has, like all the better regional white-wine grapes, a naturally high acidity; in consequence, wines from it will age quite well, but there is also the classic vineyard conundrum of trying to balance off flavor against alcohol content, since the grapes are also naturally high in sugars (so that as they ripen, the flavor increases, but so does the potential alchohol content of the resultant wine). As with so many other grapes like that (Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Scheurebe, and so on), Silvaner is thus often made into an off-dry or dessert wine by stopping the fermentation before it is complete (leaving "residual sugars" in the wine).
The keys to high-quality Silvaner seem to be these: appropriate soils and vineyard location; keeping yields low; and care in harvesting at the optimum moment. Mind, those are qualities needful for any good wine, but they seem especially important with Silvaner, which in modern times was badly overcropped for cheap bulk wines, thus tarnishing the variety's image. When well made, it has a neutral to slightly floral nose, sharp acidity, notable minerality, and a quality often described as "earthiness".
Factoid: In Alsace, Zotzenberg vineyard "Grand Cru" wines may by law consist of Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Sylvaner in any combination. Thus, one could produce a 100% varietal "Sylvaner Grand Cru" from that vineyard—but it could not legally be labelled as such, but rather just "Zotzenberg Grand Cru".
(About this list.)
Curiously, for a varietal that is generally disdained, prices on select Silvaners are somewhat high—apparently, those who know and appreciate their Silvaners are willing to pay well for them. Below are a few that seem both well-recommended and of plausible pricing.
The quotations below are excerpts; we strenuously urge you to click on the green diamond ♦ symbol by each quoted review to see the full article.
(Alto Adige Valle Isarco, Italy. This is not their "Praepositus" bottling.)
• Retail offers of this wine listed by 1000 Corks
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• This wine's CellarTracker review pages.
• This wine's Wine Searcher "Tasting Notes" page.
Some quotations and facts about this wine:
♦
Sylvaner is often called 'the Pinot Noir of white varieties' because it's so difficult to grow well. In its native Germany, Sylvaner usually yields rather pedestrian wines. The 2006 Abbazia di Novacella Sylvaner is excellent. It is dry, yet viscous, and packed with concentrated white fruits and mineral flavors. 92 points.
♦
The 2009 Sylvaner is a standout in this vintage. It shows wonderful detail in freshly cut flowers, mint, peaches and pears. There is a marvelous detail and clarity in the glass. The Sylvaner is more restrained than the Kerner – and perhaps a touch less showy – but not one bit less intriguing. 90 points.
♣
Wine Advocate: 2009 vintage, 90 points; 2008 vintage, 88 points.
♦
Aged partly in large casks, this has aromas that recall white flowers, stone fruit, chamomile, subtle oak and flint. The palate offers yellow apple, lemon zest, white peach and smoky graphite alongside fresh acidity. 88 points.
♦
At the present day, the Abbazia achieves its greatest successes with grapes that don’t fare so well in other places. Sylvaner, an originally Austrian vine which in Alsace and Germany usually makes a fairly straightforward, ordinary wine, here yields a much more nuanced juice with nice hints of complexity and much more evident structure. . . Forest floor (what Italians call sottobosco) aromas, plus flowers. Diane suggested also mirabelles, those delectable yellow plums so loved in Alsace. Nutty and floral palate. Excellent acidity, though still round in the mouth. Long-finishing. Very fine.
♦
Three of the Italian [Sylvaner] wines were particularly good, including two from the Abbazia di Novacella winery: a refreshing and light Sylvaner ($22) and their Praepositus ($35) that was more minerally, with a bit of an earthy note.
♦
Light yellow color with green highlights, fresh fruity aromas of pear and melon. Good-bodied and with a decisive minerality and dry taste.
♦
Straw/greenish colour. Typical steel. Clean nose, quite leafy and greenish with some stone. Uncomplicated and nice sylvaner-nose. Medium bodied and again the lightly greeny sylvaner-fruit with a slight bitterness in the finish. A little mineral. Medium acids and length. Some alcohol in the finish. Nice sylvaner.
♦
Celestino Lucin, winemaker for Abbazia di Novacella, an abbey in Italy's Alto Adige region that dates to 1142, is renowned for his white wines. This Sylvaner from the 2010 vintage is no exception. The grapes are grown on steep hillsides surrounding the abbey. Yields are low. And the result is this complex Sylvaner with a flowery bouquet and mineral undertow. It tastes of honey and pear, and its crisp acidity makes it an ideal food wine.
(Rheinhessen, Germany.)
• Retail offers of this wine listed by 1000 Corks
• Retail offers of this wine listed by Wine Searcher
• This wine has two different sets of CellarTracker review pages:
»
first page; and
»
second page.
• This wine's Wine Searcher "Tasting Notes" page.
Some quotations and facts about this wine:
♦
White peach and apple blossoms perfume this dancingly brisk Silvaner. Crisp nectarine and lime penetrate the palate, along with a refreshing sheen of minerality that extends the finish. 89 points, a Best Buy.
♦
Here is a steal, an Old Vine Silvaner from the Rheinhessen for under $15, this is intense and interesting stuff with good character and depth… The 2011 is ripe, being from a warm vintage and is well crafted, they used stainless steel in the fermentation process then aged it in large oak cask, giving the wine a rich detail and a golden hue with nice vigor, cut and length. The Dr. Heyden Silvaner flows with key lime, peach, nectarine and kumquat with an almost Riesling feel showing a firm acid profile and mineral essence along with flinty spice and savory elements, this is crisp, taught and dry Silvaner at it’s value priced best! This is certainly a wine to enjoy now, but can age another few years easy…
♦
Old vine Silvaner is a true rarity in Germany's Rheinhessen. While it remains the second most planted grape (after Riesling) in Germany and counts among its siblings some of the most famous white grapes of all (Chenin Blanc and Grüner Veltliner to name only two), it has always been in the shadows. In fact some have even accused it of neutrality. So, Frank Heyden quietly makes this from old vines, and the quality shines so brightly that all shadows disappear in a fresh, zesty, mouth-wateringly delicious wash of Silvaner-ish-ness. Juicy and floral from start to finish, this is a great example of coaxing the best from a grape.
♦
Hay, ripe apples, a hint of vegetable, soft without being boneless, nicely typical of the grape, mild but stable acidity. What can I say? Very good, supremely drinkable wine.
♦
Tasting Notes (vividwine style) — Nose: Standing in a huge, stone cathedral with the scent of race cars that have just raced through and the evidence of honeycomb stuck to their tires. Palate: The walls of my mouth turn to glass with mango sorbet sheeting down the sides while maintaining a cool, clean sensation down the middle of my palate.
(Wirsching has numerous Silvaners, easily conflated; the label for this bottling is shown at the right.)
• Retail offers of this wine listed by 1000 Corks
• Retail offers of this wine listed by Wine Searcher
• This wine's CellarTracker review pages.
• This wine's Wine Searcher "Tasting Notes" page.
Some quotations and facts about this wine:
♦
When you dip your nose into your glass, the first thing that hits you is the lovely minerality emanating from the wine. Then aromas of citrus, white blossom and pear fill your nostrils. This Silvaner might not be powerfully aromatic, but it’s very pleasing, conjuring up a spring breeze. On the palate, those subtle aromas expand in the most delicious way, framed by a juicy acidity that makes you salivate. The citrus notes are refreshing and lean towards mellow lemon, while distinct notes of Bosc pear follow. There are some delicate herbal elements of anise and fennel as well. What’s most enticing about the Wirsching Silvaner is how pleasing the wine feels in the mouth. It’s round, silky-smooth and absolutely succulent. Although highly sippable on its own, the Silvaner would pair marvelously with anything.
♦
I had a few Silvaners from Germany. The one that really stood out was the delightfully floral 2012 Weingut Hans Wirsching Iphöfer Silvaner Trocken. It had a dry, mineral finish and a profile that one friend called "yummy." At $17 a bottle, it was also a good deal.
♦
Despite the significant problems in the Franken in 2011, the end result were wines of clarity and power, at same time as great finesse—in short, some superb wines. I particularly liked the Wirsching collection, which seemed to have layers of citrus, honey and mineral notes.
♦
[V]ery good. Higher toned minerality than the basic estate Silvaner. Very elegant and complex already. Lovely little wine.
♦
Very pale, almost watery color. The nose showed zesty citrus notes and a green/herbal character that reminded me a little bit of young Chablis. On the palate this is quite light in body but packs a lot of flavor. I would guess that there is just a hint of residual sugar left to provide a counterweight to the truly zingy acidity that follows and really grips the palate. The finish is there, but nothing special. In sum, a very refreshing bottle for those looking for a crisp white.
♦
2012 Silvaner Trocken (dry), which shows some pretty citrus and floral notes with just a touch of pineapple rind. It’s dry on the palate with a medium-light body and a perfectly refreshing appeal.
♦
A light, direct steely nose. Decent minerally palate. Good easy drinking at a fair price.
♦
This product of Silvaner grapes is dry and bold, with a crisp minerality which will pair well with seafood and cheese.
For a Splurge
One can spend a great deal of money on some of the more elevated specimens of Silvaner, but one that is much praised but not absolutely astronomical in price is the Peter Pliger "Kuenhof" Sudtirol Eisacktaler Sylvaner. It's only a hair better than what's listed above (by reviewer point counts), but also isn't wildly more expensive.
• That wine at 1000 Corks
• That wine at Wine Searcher
• Its Wine Searcher "Tasting Notes" page.
• Its CellarTracker pages.
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Some Descriptions of Silvaner Wines
"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. . . [O]n 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."
@ Silvaner:
"The wines it produces are high in acidity and not particularly marked by flavour or longevity, but in the right spot, such as particular sites in Franken and Rheinhessen, it can produce extremely racy, excitingly sleek, sometimes earthy wines that can age well."
@ Sylvaner:
"Silvaner is one of Germany's few white wine grapes that seems obviously most at home producing dry rather than fruitier styles of wine, and so could be said to be particularly in tune with current tastes among wine drinkers in Germany. Franken Silvaners may not be the most aromatic wines but, perhaps thanks to the clay-limestone soils there, have a special, sometimes mineral, raciness as well as very firm, full body. To perform well here the frost-prone Silvaner needs a good site and that from the Würzburger Stein vineyard has a long-established reputation. It is still revered at Castell and can make lovely wines on the Steigerwald slopes near Iphofen."
"When Silvaner is done right, which proper pruning and limited yields, it produces drier, crisper, more acidic wines with aromas and flavors of citrus peel, almond, green apple, and pineapple. Alsatian Silvaners tend to be even drier than their German cousins, and because of their high acidity and dryness, Silvaners are often blended with Rieslings, Elbling, Gewürztraminers and other German and Alsatian grapes that tend to lean toward the sweeter side. . . [W]ell-produced Silvaners (those with low yields from their vines) will give off very fresh scents of green apple and lemon curd. With some wines, you might get a nose of sugar cane while with others, more of a sea salt/sea breeze scent. These particular smells come down to location of the vineyard and where the wine was produced. Either way, though, you’ll be able to tell from the very first sniff that these wines are dry and tart and unlike other German varietals you might have tasted. Because of their high acidity and low alcohol levels, Silvaners can sometimes taste a little on the thin side. However, the well-produced Silvaners will be very dry wines, much drier than anything else produced in Germany; Alsatian Silvaners will be even drier, bone dry. Silvaners typically have a lot of flavor right up front during each sip (called the attack) but then thin out or give way as the wine makes its way down your tongue and throat. Despite this, Silvaners can have decent length to them; it’s in the middle that they kind of fall apart. Green apple flavors will abound along with a lot of dry citrus and perhaps some of that salty flavor you smelled earlier (though it will be more like club soda than straight salt. You might even detect a hint of bitterness to the wine also, as if you’ve encountered a citrus seed or part of a peel. Some Silvaners will also greet you in the middle or at the end with a hint of sweetness as well."
"Some of the world's finest Silvaner wines comes from Germany's otherwise undistinguished Franken [Franconia] region. It is significant that Franken is the only Germany wine region where Riesling does not figure among the varieties of note. The clay-limestone soils here give its Silvaner wines substantial structure and body, while the cool climate helps prevent acidity levels from dropping too low. The famous Wurzburger Stein vineyard in Wurzburg is a great example of a location where Silvaner outperforms Riesling. The classic Wurzburger Stein Silvaner is a well-rounded wine with impressive minerality, faint herbal notes and a hint of citrus and melon. Silvaner is one of few varieties able to ripen fully in Franken, and is capable of achieving sufficient must-weights to be sold as Prädikatswein. In Alsace, Sylvaner wines have distinctively full-bodied style with a whiff of earth and smoke on the nose, highlighted at the expense of the scant fruit flavors the variety manages to muster. Some of the finest examples come from Alsace's Grand Cru sites, although most cannot be labeled "Grand Cru" because the variety is almost entirely excluded by Alsace's Grand Cru appellation laws. Only one Alsace Grand Cru vineyard – Zotzenberg – is officially permitted to use Sylvaner in its wines. . . Italian and Swiss Silvaners are typically much lighter and crisper than their counterparts from Alsace and Franken, with faint citrus notes and a hint of pale honey. These wines are invariably at their best within the first couple of years after vintage."
"[F]or years and it had a reputation for high acidity, neutral wines, low in aroma and fruit. However today much better wines are being produced through selection of better sites, lower yields, and crucially through harvesting at optimum ripeness - if unripe Sylvaner makes an exceedingly green and mean wine. The very best examples are from Franken."
"It’s a weird grape. It’s super neutral. At it’s best it’s light with some honeysuckle, honeydew, pear, and sometimes basil or fresh herb flavor and a good dose of salty mineral tang. Unlike the enamel busting acidity in Riesling, it’s a pretty chill grape in terms of mouthwatering tartness. It’s weak point: if it’s allowed to grow out of control, it tastes like alcoholic lemon water. . . [In Franconia], viticulturists take great care of their Silvaner vines and as a result the wines are refreshing, flavorful, and great summer sippers. . . Alsace Sylvaner is flavorful and more honey-like than the German stuff — not surprising since that’s a hallmark of Alsace wines. You may also see some from Northern Italy, where it kind of resembles more floral Pinot Grigio."
"Appearance: the colour is clear, revealing green tinges, thus emphasizing its characteristic freshness. Nose: the nose is fresh and light. It offers a bouquet that is discreetly fruity and floral: citrus fruits, white flowers, freshly cut grass … Palate: the mouth is open and pleasant, structured around a thirst-quenching freshness."
"In truth, it's not a grape endowed with obvious beauty or sex appeal . . Silvaner is more like the smart, witty and slightly wry guy whose charm can take a moment to recognize. Silvaner has tried on (and is still trying) a number of guises—from fierce, firm and cut to overly ripe, round and a little sassy, to punkish-alternative and wearing a conspicuous outfit to make a statement."
"Sylvaner is grown all over the Europe, but has not caught on in the New World. The most famous examples are the steely, super-dry wines from Franken bottled in the green, flat Bock-bottle. . Sylvaner gives medium-bodied wines with a lot of brute force and a good body. What it lacks, however, a some type of fingerprint aroma. No grower I have visited has referred to any particular varietal characteristic. From a marketing perspective, this is a tragic fate that Sylvaner shares with the likes of Melon (of Muscadet)."
"Sylvaner gives a pleasant, fresh, fruity and dry wine. The wine has a pale green colour. Sylvaner offers flower and lemon aromas. It is better when drunk young."
"Brings neutral, fruity wines. Aged versions usually give a gooseberry expression."
"An earthy, mineral scent is typical of Sylvaner, accompanied by aromas of fresh herbs or hay."
"If yields are kept low aromas and flavors of citrus, apples and almonds are common. The best examples of Silvaner comes from the eastern German region of Franken where the wine can seem electrically charged from the absurd levels of acidity. "
"This variety is used to make both sweet and dry white wine styles. As an early ripening variety is can be used in cooler areas. Its characteristic high acidity is an asset in crisp young white wines. Sylvaner is one of those unfashionable varieties that can be worth seeking out. It is not highly regarded, if even acknowledged at all, by mainstream of wine writers and critics. Therefore if someone is growing it and making wine you know they have invested a little passion into the wine."