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Almost one hundred wines from the new vintage were up for this year's Silvaner Trophy in Rheinhessen. A considerable workload for the ten tasters who, in two groups, wanted to get to the bottom of the quality of this much too long underestimated leading variety of Rheinhessen. In the end, the 10 jurors were surprisingly unanimous. The top three of the vintage were all on the winning list: Dirk Würtz with a bone-dry prime example of a Rhine-Hessian Silvaner, Klaus and Klaus-Peter Keller with a complex but far too young masterpiece, and the Machmer Winery from Bechtheim, which - largely unknown to the jurors - secured a place at the top with a powerful and yet distinctly typical Silvaner. In fourth place, the Huff-Doll winery, , which already made it to the finals last year with its litre wine, left the entire jury speechless this time: one of the best litre wines we have ever had the pleasure of tasting and far better than the high predicates of many other wineries.

The winners Hubertus Weinmann and Dirk Würtz in the vineyard.

Silvaner is one of the oldest grape varieties still cultivated today. Pliny the Elder described a variety called Fiano in Rome in the first century A.D., the characteristics of which are almost identical to those of today's Silvaner and which, according to experts, could have been this probably accidental crossing of Traminer and Austrian White. In Germany, the variety occupied the largest part of the total vineyard area until the 1990s, but now only occupies fourth place with around 6,500 hectares.

The decline in the Silvaner vineyard area clearly reflects the declining importance of this variety in Germany, which is rarely given serious attention outside of Franconia and Rheinhessen. Wrongly so, according to wine lover and juror Klaus W. Grundstein, who was thrilled by the level and range of the tasting and who attests to the Silvaner's "considerably greater potential" than it is generally given credit for. Winemaker Gerhard Gutzler sees Silvaner above all as a "fantastic food companion that has been underestimated for far too long" and regrets that the variety lost ground in Rheinhessen during the 1970s to many new varieties that were popular at the time. Christine Dördelmann, sommelier at the restaurant "Hugenpoet" in Essen, also emphasises the qualities of the Silvaner as a food companion, but still misses a few "powerful, punchy" examples in Rheinhessen that could "stand up to a big menu". Winner Dirk Würtz appreciates the Silvaner above all for its "completely independent character", with which one can distinguish oneself in a "world of increasingly monotonous wines".

The Silvaner Trophy was launched in 2004 on the occasion of the first Rheinhessen Festival (www.rheinhessenfestival.de), which will be held for the second time from 28 April to 8 May 2005 and will delight wine lovers from all over the country with top-class events and illustrious guests under the motto "Rheinhessen meets France". The award ceremony will also be held on the occasion of Rheinhessen's vintage presentation on 30 April in the "Alte Lokhalle" in Mainz, which is part of the festival.

The Trophy is under the patronage of Rheinhessenwein.ev (www.rheinhessenwein.de) and is basically open to all wineries in the area. The wines presented were tasted blind in two rounds, sorted in ascending order of residual sugar, and rated as follows

The winning wines

1st place: Silvaner dry, Würtz-Weinmann, Gau-Odernheim

Two-thirds fermented in steel tanks and one-third spontaneously in wooden barrels, the Silvaner from Dirk Würtz and Hubertus Weinmann impresses with a classic, very lively bouquet of apples, herbs and some white vegetables. Pure and lively in the mouth, with an ideal balance between power and finesse, persistent on the palate, with good depth and an animating style, present and medium-long. An exemplary Silvaner.

2nd place: Silvaner dry "S", Keller, Flörsheim-Dalsheim

Keller family

Unfortunately the last Silvaner from this old vineyard in the Westhofener Morstein, which has now been completely cleared and planted with Riesling. Still very undeveloped on the nose, complex, deep and racy, with enormous minerality and crystal clear fruit. Very powerful in the mouth, dense, but also complex and fine, with playful acidity, melting and depth on the palate, again with intense minerality, perfectly balanced and very long.

3rd place: Grüner Silvaner Kabinett dry, Machmer, Bechtheim

Delicately floral on the nose, with typical apple aromas but also delicate notes reminiscent of red berries. Clear and delicate in the mouth, with a delicate spiciness, very straightforward style, a certain melting on the palate, excellent balance, animating, dry finish.

4th place: Horrweiler Gewürzgärtchen Silvaner dry, litre bottle, Huff-Doll, Horrweiler

Already last year, the litre wine from Huff Doll attracted positive attention, but the 2004 version even surpasses its predecessor. Very clear Silvaner fragrance with herbal aromas as well as notes of apples and some honeydew melon. Also in the mouth with herbal spiciness, round and fruity, perhaps not quite dry, incredibly drinkable, not without substance, spicy-fruity finish.

Also very well rated in the finish (in alphabetical order):

Silvaner dry, Keller, Flörsheim-Dalsheim.

Very clear on the nose, finely fruity, elegant and playful. Delicately spicy fruit, certain melting and fine acidity, dry style, mineral note, good finish.

Flomborner Feuerberg Silvaner dry, Michel-Pfannebecker, Flomborn

Clear and fresh on the nose, finely fruity and slightly herbal. Lively in the mouth, again with herbal notes, animating style, not quite dry, delicate finish.

Silvaner dry, litre bottle, Neumer, Uelversheim

The second wine by the litre and after the winner the second Silvaner from Würtz-Weinman. Apple-citrus scent with herbaceous-playful spiciness. Clear and straight in the mouth, delicate spiciness, fine acidity, decent finish.

Silvaner Classic, Russbach, Eppelsheim.

The only Classic in the final round. Very clear on the nose, delicately herbal and slightly droppy. Quite elegant in the mouth, not quite dry, round, with fine play, very nice to drink.

Silvaner Spätlese dry "Jean", Wagner, Essenheim

Delicately spicy on the nose, of apples, honeydew melons and some white vegetables. Clear, straightforward and dry in the mouth, seems leaner than it is, animating acidity and fine spiciness, tidy, dry finish.

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