Wittmann, Grüner Silvaner trocken, 2008

Wittmann, Grüner Silvaner trocken, 2008

Just one glass. This was my excuse to try this Silvaner. Why just one glass? Well, I have been down with the flu since Thursday night (six days, I know), but earlier tonight I felt well enough to think about having a small (!) treat.

Why a Silvaner, you may ask? First of all it is the year of the Silvaner grape in Germany. Secondly, I was planning to have sage risotto with caramelised apples and roast walnuts, and I wanted to have a light apple-y yet robust wine to go with it. And thirdly, I just had a discussion with Kathryn from Artisan & Vine about natural wines from Germany - and this surely is one. Wittmann is one of the leading German estates and for quite a while now they have been focussing on organic wine. And this Silvaner here, well, it is quite something, for a 'simple' wine.

Yellow colour, looks almost creamy with a bit of green. The nose? Vegetable, apple, vegetable, apple, some earthy notes, herbs, a little citrus fruit, apple, perhaps a little smoky, a hint of vegetable curry, almonds, and some apple. Combined with some mineral, this Silvaner manages to give you an air of robust vegetable that is still light and fresh. The wine keeps up the good work on your tongue too. Apple, citrus fruit, vegetable, mineral, a little bitter, a little edgy, but smooth and very drinkable. On the tongue it starts with an almost wooden vegetable flavour, followed by creamy mineral that then gets more citrusy and tingly.

Are you looking for a dry wine that is a good food companion? Go for the Wittmann. Do you want a light and fresh white wine to drink on its own? Go for the Wittmann too. But if you ever make sage risotto with roast walnuts and caramelised apples, well, then you should really go for the Wittmann too.

For a more basic level/style of wine this one is, I dare say, perfect.