Rudolf May, Himmelspfad Silvaner GG Franken 2017

From the best parcel of a cooler vineyard in neighbouring Thungersheim, the Johannisberg, which features the same fossil-rich limestone, but here mixed with multicoloured sandstone. The wine is aged in equal parts in steel, concrete egg and wood, and shows how this often under-rated varietal can be an excellent foil for terroir

Rudolf May founded his estate in 1998 with two hectares, and through hard work and emphasis on quality has grown it to fourteen. His focus has always been on Silvaner, and his poor, fossil-rich soils allow him to make very fine, pure, mineral-driven wines. He is one of only a few growers to demonstrate that this often overlooked varietal can produce distinctive wines that have ageing potential, with the result that he produces the finest Silvaners in Germany. He believes in minimal intervention, hence his recent conversion to organic viticulture. His son Benedikt, recently returned from his studies, is being groomed to take over.