WineLovers Discussion Group

I opened a 2004 Rene Mure Clos St Landelin "Cuvee Oscar" Sylvaner last nite and was was surprised by its medium amber color. The nose and palate were full of apricot and the palate had very good acidity with just a note of maderization. This wine reminded me more of a slightly over-the-hill late harvest Riesling as there was obvious sweetness with that apricot fruit. Is this Alsatian Sylvaner not representative of the norm (i.e cooked or flawed in some way) or does Sylvaner just not age very well? For 4 bucks I was happy with this experiment. I remember that Sylvaner is very big in Baden and Franken in Germany so I'm thinking I have an "off" bottle of this varietal.

Somebody who knows more than I will undoubtedly be along with more authoritative information, but anecdotally I've always believed it doesn't. It is, after all, the primary grape in the delicious wines of Hungary's Balaton district, which one rarely sees outside of Hungary because they "don't travel well". They're best when just bottled, and it's downhill from there IOW.

Jim Grow wrote:Is this Alsatian Sylvaner not representative of the norm (i.e cooked or flawed in some way) or does Sylvaner just not age very well?

These are very broad questions. I don't know Mure so I can't speak to this wine, but you would certainly expect the better silvaners from Franken to improve for several years, if not quite as long-lived as riesling, which is a very high bar, so...

Franken Sylvaner can age very well!