Rudolf May, Retzstadter Langenberg, Silvaner Spätlese trocken "Wellenkalk", 2008

Silvaner time again. After our Silvaner appreciation campaign last year, we were not planning to keep quiet about it in 2010. But it still needed Lukas Krauß engaging defense of the grape here to put it back on the immediate menu. Based on the river Main north of Würzburg, in classic Silvaner territory, Rudolf May is making his Wine Rambler debut today (he must be so nervous...).

He has named his wines in geological terms, Wellenkalk being a triassic limestone formation. A marketing twist that capitalises on the interest in the concept of terroir, or a genuine sign for soil-driven, mineral-rich Silvaner? Both, it would seem:

Straw-coloured, smelling of fresh apple and pear and a little freshly cut grass, it's clear and focused on the tongue, herbal, stony, but still on the lighter, fresher side.

Fairly light for a Spätlese, but a good and authentic Silvaner nonetheless. We can recommend it. If it failed to really shine, that was due to a less than ideal food pairing: Creamy potato soup with diced and fried bacon, apples and sunchoke. A great soup, make no mistake, but to go with it, we soon realised, we would have needed a more full-bodied, creamier, less youthful wine. Sorry 'bout that, Rudolf!