Thörle Probstey Silvaner 2017 is hardly your everyday Silvaner in quality and price. At the entry-level, Sylvaner is somewhat neutral, a quaffable beach wine, but Thörle deserves undivided attention without sand in your glass.
Thörle Story
Thörle is a family winery located in the midst of the Grand Cru vineyards “Schlossberg,” “Hölle,” and “Probstey” in Saulheim of the Rheinhessen wine region.
Since 2006, it has been run by brothers Christoph and Johannes, who continue the winemaking tradition of their parents and generations before them that dates back to the 16th century.
Brothers embraced the traditions and married them with modern viticulture and winemaking techniques. The vineyards are managed organically and follow biodynamic principles.
Still, with all the tradition behind the estate, Thörle considered a new wave of wines from the Rheinhessen region of Germany.
Thörle Probstey Silvaner 2017
In the Bottle
The fruit for this wine came from Probstey vineyard, famous for its somewhat steep hills and clay marl, limestone, and yellow sea sand soils. The vines grown on nutrient-poor soil produce small berries that result in highly aromatic Silvaner wines.
After a very late selective harvest, the berries were lightly crushed in the cellar and left in their juice for 48 hours to achieve better aroma extraction. Following the native yeast fermentation, the wine is aged in 500-liter oak barrels and kept on lees until the following summer.
In the Glass
It is a well-structured, balanced, and elegantly perfumed wine!
While the orange and dried apples on the nose transcend the aromatic Silvaner grapes from Probstey vineyards, the butterscotch and cookie dough reflect ageing on lees.
On the palate, it’s unexpectedly creamy and rich for Silvaner, with lemon, orange, baked apples, and apricot notes.
The aftertaste is long, with lingering flavors of dried apricot and pie crust.
Having tasted 2017 Thörle Probstey Silvaner kind of reset our expectations for Sylvaner-based wines and raised the bar for other wines.
What are your thoughts on Thörle or other Silvaners if you tried them? Would you recommend other producers to try?
