Stefan Vetter Cidre NV
Type: Cider
Country: Germany
Region: Franken
Viticulture: Natural Wine | Biodynamic | Organic Farming
Climate: Continental climate with defined seasons and harsh winters
Terroir: The vineyards are set either on sandstone or limestone soil, the oldest of which are on original rootstock and were planted as early as the 1930s
Winemaking: Fermentation is spontaneous, employing each grape’s natural yeasts. There are no fining or treatment agents, and all ageing occurs in either neutral oak or newer 300 or 600-litre wood barrels
Nose: Aroma of old apple varieties, including Goldrenette, Blenheim, Winterrambur, Goldparmäne, and Bohnapfel apples
Palate: Super dry, tart and very textural, with subtle mineral and apple notes
About the Winery:
Stefan Vetter is punk rock. He has done nothing that has even the slightest commercial logic to it. His old friend Andreas Adam (of the celebrated Mosel estate A.J. Adam) must shake his head, watching Stefan, like a wild hermit, run himself up into the terraced vineyards of Franconia. Yet from a scant few hectares of old terraced vineyards, Stefan is redefining what Sylvaner can be.
Stefan is at the forefront of the natural wine movement in Germany. As such, he farms both organically and biodynamically, working only old vines in steep, terraced sites. Pressing is done gently and can take four to six hours. The juice may see a short bit of skin contact, but for the most part, it is just moved directly into old barrels. Stefan has bought 300 and 600-litre barrels from Stockinger. During the elevage, the wine is topped off but that’s about it. The wines are bottled without fining or filtering.
