No One Makes Sylvaner Like This. No One. Weltner Is Showing the World What is Possible.
One Wine Is a Masterpiece of Elegant Craftmanship
The Other Is a Wild, Crazy, Beautiful, Fascinating Beast
Historically Great Vintage for Franken.
Both Steals at Under $25 (Would be $35+ Through 3 Tier and would be Steals at $35)
Paul Weltner's Wines are gaining an almost fanatical cult following at Fass Selections. They are, of course, excellent, but like truly great wine, they are distinctive and different from other great winemakers. I think that he is atop 10 dry white winemaker in Germany and it's only a matter of time before these are highly coveted. They areprime candidates to bring to tastings because they will stand out no matter what else is served. They are also affordable enough (for now) to drink just because they are stunningly delicious.
 I had an absolutely stellar visit with Paul on Saturday night and could barely contain my excitement and had to blast out this email. His 2014s are special. Really, really special. The 2014 vintage in Franconia was difficult and the vintners did not know what to expect but when they tasted the wines they were very very happy as 2014 is one of the best vintages in Franconia and was by far the strongest region for Germany in 2014. 2 words I kept repeating over and over again were drinkability and juiciness. Usually Paul's wines need to time to express their inner freak show. But these were all just singing. Choosing two is a near impossible task. I wanted to offer something I've never offered before but there were two Sylvaners that were so compelling and so different that I had to sell them both. I just had to. I like to call them many things, but I will stick with beauty and the beast.
Up first is the 2014 Rodelsee Kuchenmeister Sylvaner Trocken which can be had for as little as $24.99 a 4-pack. This is the most complete and compact and justperfect version of Sylvaner I had from Paul in 2014. It is elegant, ridiculously juicy and screamingly pure. It has wonderful acidity but not too much to make it austere but enough to make it juicy. Paul gets better and better every year with his craft, and many people have told me this is their favorite winery in my German book. Many highly talented US winemakers buy these wines from me. Obviously I love them all and stay neutral, but when you taste wines like this, with that purity and that essential Sylvaner character, at that moment while I am drinking the wine, it is the best wine in my book. It is a perfect Sylvaner. The type of Sylvaner you want to marry.
Having said that even when I was waxing poetically to Paul about the Kuchenmeister I was thinking about something else. It happens. I was thinking about another Sylvaner. Please don't tell the 2014 Rodelsee Scwheinlatte Sylvaner Alte Reben which I still want to marry, but damn that 2014 Rodelsee Schwainlate Sylvaner Alte Reben (also$24.99 on 4) had me thinking all kinds of thoughts. Now this wine is not perfect like the Kuchenmeister but it is just as worthy and even more interesting. What a nose.Feral and sponti and so aromatic. Just wild and immediately transports you. Where? I'm not sure but the wine takes you someplace and on a journey. So juicy and complex and dense. It even has tannins. Little cute Sylvaner tannins. But it hascomplexity to burn. So many flavors and textures and a bit of jagged mineralitythat bounces all around your mouth. Long and juicy and just damn appealing. A wine that gets in your head and stays there, even when you are drinking something "better", but I guess that what makes wine so awesomesauce (and yes it is the dictionary).
One more thing!
One of the reasons I offer 3-4 packs is so people can commit infanticide on a wine and follow it for 2-3 days to see if they like it so they can possibly purchase future vintages and estimate when it will be ready to drink. Please, I implore you, sacrifice one infant at the altar (dinner table) and, yes I know its young, but I don't want people to miss out on great wines because they have not tried it yet it is in their cellar! How else do you think I select wines? I taste them in an infant almost zygote state.
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