Purportedly, Sylvaner was Germany’s most widely planted grape variety at the turn of the century. So what happened? It has long since been overshadowed by Riesling in both Germany and Alsace. After tasting this overachiever, I’ll be more of a devotee. The Ostertag Alsace Les Vieilles Vigne de Sylvaner 2011 is loaded with lime zest, unripened pineapple and wet shell notes. It’s quite lean on the palate, with little in the way of fruit, save for a touch of starfruit, and sel gris, held aloft by endless acidity. 12.4% ABV
8.8 Points