Weingut Keller - Westhofen Sylvaner dry dry 2021

Weingut Keller - Westhofen Sylvaner dry 2021.

1. Wine identification

• Producer: Weingut Keller (Flörsheim-Dalsheim, Rheinhessen)

• Wine description: Westhofen Sylvaner dry

• Vintage: 2021

• Grape variety: Silvaner (100 %)

• Flavour: dry

• Alcohol content: 12.5 % vol

• Vinification: Stainless steel tank (no wood used)

• Origin of the grapes: Westhofen vineyards (including Kirchspiel and Steingrube)

• Soil: Calcareous soils with a high iron and limestone content (red soil)

2. Market presence & price

The Westhofen Sylvaner 2021 is only available to a limited extent in specialist shops, as the vintage is increasingly being replaced by the current 2022 edition.

• Price level: At the time of release, the price was in the range of approx. 65-95 €. Currently (2026), the wine has largely disappeared from the regular trade.

• Availability: Remaining stocks are occasionally available from specialised retailers or via auction platforms.

3. Historical background: Keller winery

The Keller winery is one of the most important addresses for dry white wines in Rheinhessen and worldwide.

• History: The origins of the winery date back to 1789, when Johann Leonhard Keller came to Dalsheim from Switzerland .

• Today's management:Klaus-Peter Keller has been running the winery together with his wife Julia since 2001 .

• Vineyard area: 18.5 hectares

• Philosophy: Non-invasive vinification with as little intervention as possible ("controlled inactivity"), spontaneous fermentation with natural yeasts, ageing in stainless steel tanks or large wooden barrels, depending on typology .

• VDP member: The winery is a member of the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates (VDP) .

4. The vineyards: Westhofener Kirchspiel & Steingrube

The Westhofen Sylvaner 2021 combines grapes from the best sites in the municipality of Westhofen.

• Kirchspiel: One of Westhofen's great VDP sites, known for its chalky soils and elegant, mineral wines.

• Steingrube: Also a renowned site with calcareous soils.

• Soil profile: The plots lie on red soil with a high proportion of iron and limestone . This soil gives the wine its characteristic mineral depth and flavour.

5. Vintage 2021: Cool climate with late harvest luck

The 2021 vintage in Rheinhessen was one of the most challenging and at the same time most exciting of recent years - a true cool climate vintage .

• Weather conditions:Budbreak and flowering were characterised by unusually harsh, Nordic weather. The rainy and windy flowering phase led to yield lossesalmost everywhere .

• Summer:The summer did not bring a turnaround; concentrated rainfall brought the trilogy of hot, dry years (2018-2020) to an abrupt end. Plant protection became a Sisyphean task .

• Salvation in autumn: A stable high over Central and Eastern Europe ensured a "Golden October" in September and October . The slow ripening with a long hang time and the pronounced temperature differences between day and night led to wines with stable acids and crystalline freshness .

• Characteristics 2021: The wines of this vintage are described as exciting, cracking and crystalline - with an intoxicating freshness and high tension .

6. Critics' ratings

The Westhofen Sylvaner 2021 received excellent reviews and confirms the high level of Keller's local wines.

• wein.plus:

  "Fresh, matter-of-fact and very bright aroma, fine yellow-fruity and restrained notes, still quite ..."
  Rating: 92 WP (excellent)

• Reference 2022 vintage: The successor 2022received 94 points from Stuart Pigott (JamesSuckling.com) and was described by Julia Harding MW as the best "village-level" Sylvaner she had ever tasted.

7. Sensory description (according to critics)

• Nose: Fresh, matter-of-fact, very bright. Fine, yellow-fruity aromas that are still restrained .

• Palate: Due to the chalky soils of Westhofen , the wine is characterised by an incredibly strong salinity. Lots of pressure from the fruit (pear skin, apple blossom) with herbal-spicy notes. Compared to the 2022, the 2021 is leaner, more acidic and even more mineral due to the cooler conditions.

• Structure: Creamy on the attack, then tart and juicy with ongoing herbal spice . The acidity is present but integrated.

8. Summary & drinking recommendation

The Weingut Keller Westhofen Sylvaner dry 2021 is a product of an exceptional cool-climate vintage. After three very warm years, 2021 delivered wines with cracking freshness, high mineral tension and a pronounced saline character resulting from the calcareous Westhofen soils.

• Drinking maturity:Already accessible now, but with excellent ageing potential thanks to the lively acidity structure. The drinking window extends to 2030+.

• Difference to the 2022: The 2022 is more opulent, more fruit-driven and more accessible, while the 2021 is leaner, more acidic and more mineral - ideal for lovers of wines with high tension and coolness.

• Serving recommendation: Serve chilled at 10-11 °C. Decanting is not necessary.

• Food recommendation:Ideal with asparagus, white meat, fish dishes with a citrus flavour or Asian dishes that benefit from the fresh acidity.

The 2021 Westhofen Sylvaner is an excellent local wine that bears the signature of Klaus-Peter Keller and presents the speciality of a cool vintage in perfect balance.