2016 Strub, Silvaner, Feinherb, Rheinhessen Germany.
The barely off dry Silvaner by Sebastian Strub is a jewel of a white wine that drinks beautifully, it’s vibrantly bright with a steely frame and lightly fruity showing wonderful mineralite. This flexible and vital Rheinhessen Silvanner is a steal and shows the grape’s charm in Germany, where it is growing in plantings and gaining a solid following from drinkers and wine growers, once almost only found in Alsace and here in the Rheinhessen and Franken, where it has it’s own Grand Cu and Premier Cru sites, Silvaner is now found all over Germany and even in California, it’s a remarkable come back from this varietal that has seen some dramatic ups and downs. Even with it’s touch of RS, this wine should be considered dry and delicate on the palate, it’s in no way a sweet wine and makes for a great alternative to the sea of Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. Strub farms parcels of Niersteiner, with some great sites in Hipping and Pettenthal that are a mix of red slate and limestone soils, their Rieslings from 2016 are wonderful examples with the Hipping Feinherb ‘Thal standing out along with this Silvaner, as well as the new Pinot Noir Rose and their Gruner Veltliner. The Strub Silvanner starts with light lime blossom, saline and green apple with a chalky/stony essence and lemongrass before widening a touch on the vital palate with steely lemon/lime, white peach and subtle verbena and wet shale. This light and refreshing white is stylish in a bistro quaffer kind of way and is a super summer sipper, great on it’s own and very nice with lighter fare and sea foods, especially clams in wine broth, drink it now and often!
($16 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive

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