VetterSylvaner “Muschelkalk” 2021 (750ml)

It goes without saying that Vetter has a style – and the 2021’s could not be more Vetter. Tasting note after tasting note from early this spring in Germany, tasting with Stefan, includes the word “ruthless” – this is the vintage woven into Vetter’s style. The Muschelkalk is presents as both more seductive and mysterious, yet also as more brooding than the above Sandstein. Truly a wine for the ages; you have to wonder how similar this will be in its evolution to a great Chablis from the 1980s. Sourced from 50+ year-old vines on chalky limestone, this can be thought of as the Premier Cru – previously it was bottled as the “Muschelkalk Steinterrassen.” The wine shows hints of fruit on the more blue and green side of things, a dash of ripe red delicious apple juice, yet so precious, so linear.

Vetter’s technique is worth noting, as it’s unique. The grapes are whole-cluster pressed without any maceration or crushing and put directly into old/neutral barrels. The wine is topped up while in barrel, but not sulfured. The wines are normally racked only once and then bottled unfined and unfiltered with lower SO2.