Rudolf May Winery
Buy wines from Weingut Rudolf May
Today, Weingut Rudolf May is one of the most influential wineries in Franconia and also one of the wineries that have redefined Silvaner in Germany.
What Rudolf May and his son Benedikt May have created over the last two decades is nothing less than a qualitative reassessment of Franconian viticulture. The wines combine precision, tranquillity and provenance with a consistency that was previously better known from Burgundy or the great dry Riesling producers of Germany. The winery is located in Retzstadt in the Maindreieck, north of Würzburg. The landscape there seems unspectacular at first, but geologically it is one of the most exciting regions in Franconia. Shell limestone characterises almost all of the estate's top vineyards and forms the basis for the salty, cool and taut style that makes Rudolf May's wines so unmistakable. Retzstadter Langenberg and Himmelspfad in particular are among the most important Silvaner vineyards in Germany today. The wines from these sites have depth and concentration, but never appear heavy. Instead, they are characterised by inner tension, fine herbal spice, chalky minerality and an almost floating elegance.
Rudolf May founded the winery in the early 1990s and recognised early on that Franconia would only attract greater international attention again if the focus was placed uncompromisingly on origin and precision craftsmanship. Instead of focussing on superficial fruit or pleasing primary aromas, the winery pursues a reduced, terroir-driven style. The wines are fermented spontaneously, given plenty of time on the lees and matured with extreme restraint. Wood is used, but only rarely, such as in the "Schäfer" as a flavourful stylistic device, but mainly to give structure.
The role of Silvaner is particularly impressive. While the grape variety has long been underestimated in many places, Rudolf May shows what potential it harbours. The best wines possess enormous finesse, with a texture that is sometimes more reminiscent of great white Burgundies than the stereotypical image of Franconian Silvaners of past decades. At the same time, they remain deeply rooted in Franconia: herbaceous, stony, cool and precise. In addition to almost 80% Silvaner, Riesling, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir are also playing an increasingly important role. The Burgundy varieties in particular benefit from the cool limestone sites and the increasingly precise work in the vineyard. The cultivation is sustainable and close to nature, and many vineyards are now organically farmed. Yields are low and the grapes are harvested exclusively by hand. The fact that the winery is now a member of the VDP and regularly ranks among the highest-rated wineries in Germany has long been taken for granted in the wine scene. Nevertheless, the wines of Rudi May, who is handing over more and more tasks to his son Benedikt, are still quiet rather than loud. It is precisely this calm and concentration that is reflected in the wines: no effects, no opulence, but clarity, origin and substance. This makes the winery one of the most important ambassadors of a modern, precise and internationally recognisable Franconian style.
© Images: Rudolf May Winery
