Ottenbreit – Hucklkatz Silvaner 2023
Franken, Germany
The Ottenbreit-Hucklkatz Silvaner 2023 is a hazy, straw-colored natural orange wine from Germany. Crafted as free-run* wine with 10 months of skin contact, it yields a complex and flavorful profile featuring aromas of pear, gooseberry, and orange blossom, with a subtle infusion of fresh thyme and chalky minerality. These elements culminate in a luxurious long finish with notes of salty caramel.
This wine showcases a well-structured character, achieving a harmonious fusion of acidity and fruity nuances. The extended maceration lends depth and complexity, while oak barrel aging contributes to a silky texture and additional layers of aromatic spiciness. It is impeccably made, a sophisticated wine that beautifully demonstrates the unique character of the Silvaner grape, the Franken terroir, and the mastery of the winemaker.
*Free run refers to the wine that flows directly out of the tank via gravity when the bottom valve of the fermentation vessel is opened. It embodies a softer and more elegant character compared to press wine, making it the purest expression of the grape.
However, the choice to use both free-run and press fraction juice is often driven by the need to maximize production volume, but also gives winemaker possibility to play with style and characteristics of finished wine.
Furthermore, press fraction juice can, in specific vintages, exhibit exceptionally high quality, occasionally even surpassing the excellence of the free-run juice.
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