In Switzerland, Riesling-Silvaner is the local name for Müller-Thurgau, the crossing created by Professor Hermann Müller from Thurgau in 1882 and long associated with the workhorse whites of central Europe. The variety is often encountered in Switzerland labeled as Riesling x Silvaner or Riesling-Silvaner. In the Bündner Herrschaft it has always had a quiet presence alongside the dominant Pinot Noir, planted on the southwest-facing slopes above the Rhine that give this corner of Graubünden its exceptional ripening conditions.

Christof Ruof is based in Jenins, a young and dynamic vigneron who set out in 2012 to breathe new life into the region. His family vineyard, just 13 rows of vines at around 600 metres altitude on clay soils at the lieu-dit Im Silser, is devoted almost entirely to Pinot Noir. For this Riesling-Silvaner he reaches out to fruit from a cousin's nearby parcel, part of a gradual expansion that keeps the domaine's small, handmade spirit intact. The grapes are pressed directly and fermented in stainless steel with no additions, bottled early to preserve freshness.

The result is true to the grape and true to Ruof. Müller-Thurgau is delicately fruity and floral, with notes of herbs, apple and pear, and in Christof's hands that freshness is sharpened by altitude and a light touch in the cellar. At 12% alcohol it is a wine built for the table, for summer afternoons and for anyone curious about what this often-overlooked Swiss white can do when a careful producer takes it seriously.