Overall Assessment – Vintages 2023/2024

Silvaner

Silvaner once again asserts its role as the beating heart of Franconian identity – with an impressive breadth of expression. The 2024 vintage presents itself as taut and cool, carried by lively acidity and marked minerality, often underpinned by citrus notes (e.g. Juliusspital Julius-Echter-Berg, Bürgerspital Stein-Harfe, Max Müller I Ratsherr). By contrast, 2023 appears calmer, more structured and herbal-spiced, with an inner composure (Wirsching Kammer/Echter-Berg, Egon Schäffer Lumpen, Bickel-Stumpf Rothlauf/Mönchshof, Schloss Sommerhausen Steinbach-Altenberg, Weingut am Stein Stettener Stein).

Some estates deliberately strike a counterpoint: Rudolf May’s Himmelspfad/Rothlauf as well as Luckert’s Maustal remain a cosmos of their own – reductive, mild in acidity, and with profound inner depth. They stood out among my Silvaner highlights of the tasting. Others, like Max Müller or Rainer Sauer, emphasize fruit richness, while Horst Sauer integrates stronger international stylistic elements. Particularly impressive were the fine exotic nuance in the 2023 Rothlauf from Bickel-Stumpf, as well as the salty coolness and elegance of Hans Wirsching’s Kammer.

The use of new oak is hardly perceptible anymore; the focus is clearly on origin, texture and pure fruit. Today, Silvaner in Franken represents a field of tension between precise, salty clarity and profound calm. 2024 delivers the chiselled, taut expressions, while 2023 embodies the quieter yet enduring characters.

Riesling

Franconian Riesling has its own distinctive face – far removed from the character of Rheingau or Pfalz, utterly different from the Mosel, and distinct from its Baden counterparts. The 2024 vintage is marked by a bright, herbal-spiced style, sometimes with reductive notes that can be polarizing (such as Schmitt’s Kinder Pfülben or Rainer Sauer Am Lumpen), yet always accompanied by lively acidity and fine minerality. Wines like Schloss Sommerhausen Steinbach-Altenberg, Weingut am Stein Stetten, Störrlein-Krenig Hohenroth, Hans Wirsching Kammer, or Rudolf Fürst Centgrafenberg show a level that fits seamlessly into top gastronomy. Luckert and Weltner remain deliberately restrained, crafted for longevity and calm.

Two wines set particularly striking accents: the 2023 Stein-Berg from Juliusspital, distinctly yellow-fruited, gentle and warmly mouth-filling, and the 2023 Apostelgarten from Höfler, herbal and saline – standing deliberately against the mainstream. Also outstanding in individuality: the Maustal Riesling from Zehnthof Luckert, with hints of wild berries, fine structure, impressive depth and a spicy finish.

Riesling is thus establishing itself in Franken as a serious complement to Silvaner – not as a competitor, but as an autonomous voice with great potential for the future.

Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)

The 2023 reds demonstrate just how far Franconia has come. Rudolf Fürst remains the benchmark, with clear stylistic differences: classical in the Centgrafenberg, filigree and elegant in the Hundsrück. Yet competition has caught up. Schmitt’s Kinder surprise with a Hohenroth that emphasizes finesse and lightness – quite different from earlier interpretations. Luckert’s Maustal, by contrast, embodies power, density and tannic richness, a counterpoint to the filigree Hohenroth. The Hofkeller presents a Pinot Noir that increasingly stands on its own, offering solid conviction.

Franconia today unfolds a spectrum ranging from delicate elegance to herbal-spiced depth – a development that has firmly established Pinot Noir as a flagship alongside Silvaner.

Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc)

The 2023 Karthäuser from Juliusspital demonstrates why Pinot Blanc remains a fixture in Franconia: versatile, approachable, and with international appeal. It is a reliable all-rounder, valued equally in gastronomy and private cellars – without the cultural radiance of Silvaner or Pinot Noir, but with a solid outlook for the future.

Overarching Trends

New oak aging has virtually disappeared – fruit, texture and terroir take center stage.
2023: a calm, textural vintage with aging potential.
2024: fresh, chiselled, citrus-driven, often still unruly at present.
Silvaner confirms its status as the identity wine.
Riesling continues to gain profile.
Pinot Blanc has a promising future.
Pinot Noir now plays on an international level.

Franconia’s diversity remains a hallmark: spanning from Luckert’s ascetic clarity to Max Müller’s expressive fruit richness, the region reveals its strength in full.

A Personal Note

Two Franconian terroirs never fail to impress me – Maustal and Stettener Stein. For me, living here in Franconia, it is a privilege not only to taste these wines as a critic, but also to experience them in daily life. They reflect the soul of a region rich in culture, history and character. To me, Franconian wine will always mean a sense of home – with expression, diversity, and wonderful surprises.