Schieferkopf Silvaner

It was a success both in Germany and abroad. Although Riesling is the first variety that comes to mind when we think about German wines, there was also the Silvaner, a white grape that became the most widely planted grape in the country in the 20th century. This variety, that originated in Austria, arrived in Germany in the 17th century and from there it ended up in Alsace (where it became very popular after World War II), Switzerland and Italy (in the northwest).

Although it is now the second most widely planted variety, the Silvaner still finds its home in the Franconia region (in southern Germany). This is partly due to the area’s clay-limestone soils, and the semi-continental climate, with hot, dry summers and harsh, sunny winters, where the Silvaner ripens easily and reaches good sugar levels when organically cultivated. This was quickly spotted by Michel Chapoutier, a vigneron in the Rhône, who moved there in 2015 to find new territories to make wine in. This is where he found 8 hectares of vineyard in Bernardvillé (in France, just across the Rhine) and became a reviver and restorer of the Silvaner with wines like Schieferkopf Silvaner.

Schieferkopf Silvaner is a white wine grown in organically cultivated vineyards that face south-southeast at an altitude of 380 metres above sea level. This location, the highest in the region, was once chosen by the Cistercian monks in the 12th century. Following a mechanical harvesting (in the morning), the grapes are transferred to the winery where they are pressed directly in a pneumatic press. The Schieferkopf Silvaner must spends several days at low temperatures, being racked and cleaned, until it starts fermenting in stainless steel tanks at a temperature between 16ºC and 20ºC. It remains on its lees in these same containers for 3 months, where it will finish rounding out and bringing out all the aroma and potential of the Silvaner.