2022 Weingut Selbach-Oster, Riesling Trocken, Zeltinger “Alte Reben” Mosel, Germany.
This outstanding steeling/flinty old vine dry Riesling comes from Selbach-Oster’s lower part of the Zeltinger Himmelreich vneyard including its 40+ year old vines on the classic Blue Devonian slate and was made as per normal here, a natural fermentation and native yeast in old Mosel Fuder (casks) which adds to the terroir authenticity and depth in this sleeper bottling, that is basically a declassified GG. The 2022 vintage is turning out to be a thrilling year for German wines, in particular these Trocken Rieslings, which show off remarkable concentration, depth and complexity, and no one that loves Riesling, dry, off-dry and sweet, should miss these Selbach-Oster wines, like this superb Zeltinger Alte Reben. I have long been a fan of Johannes Selbach and his wines going back to the late nineties and early two-thousands, and you can see here many high scores and reviews. The 2022 Zeltinger Alte Reben is pure slate driven Riesling at its best with aromas of white blossoms, stone fruit and smoky rock leading to a crystalline palate of crisp apple, lime and tangerine citrus, pineapple, quince and tart apricot fruits, along with a fine dry extract, zesty acidity and retrained alcohol, as well as subtle lees, bitter almond, chamomile, spicy crystallized ginger and saline accents. This wine absolutely rocks, even in its youthful state, and it should age fantastically well, though no patience is required here, especially when this Zeltinger Alte Reben is paired with a meal. It was great to catch up with Johannes Selbach and taste through his currant set of wines at a recent tasting in San Francisco, where he was one of the headliners of Skurnik Imports west coast tour of German and Austrian wines, these mainly 2022 and 2023 offerings were all exceptional and impressive for quality and value.
Johannes Selbach, one of Germany’s best known winemakers, and son Sebastian, of Selbach-Oster, which dates back here in the Mosel since the 1600s, run this winery looking forward and backwards, paying tribute to generations of Selbachs and their traditions. A very significant portion of their vines are on their original rootstocks and are ungrafted, including the stunning set of parcels in Zeltinger, their home town. I’m a huge fan of these wines, especially the set of Himmelreich, Schlossberg and Sonnenuhr, all set on blue Devonian slate, where this wine comes from. Selbach’s holdings of Schlossberg, Sonnenuhr, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Graacher and Bernkasteler Graben are ultra steep sites that showcase their slate driven terroirs to perfection and sit on contiguous slope facing south-south west and without question are some of the most prestigious sites in the Mosel. The winery notes that 85% of the Selbach’s vines are on steep slopes, which helps give their collection of Rieslings an extra boost of intensity and distinction. The Selbach wines have always been crafted to be generous and full of pleasure, highlighting the quality of the fruit and the expressive terroirs, with Johannes using traditional 1000L oak fuders on the upper end wines. The vinifications, as the winery notes, are done in a combination of fuder and stainless steel, in a hands-off manner with no fining, and with wild yeasts. The main focus at Selbach-Oster is on meticulous work in the vineyard, which is carried out with organic and sustainable farming, with the aim to produce and bring home perfect fruit. It also notable that In 2016 the Selbach’s brought in Christian Vogt, former winemaker at Karthauserhof that has added even more talent to the estate. There’s so much to admire in the Selbach’s latest set of releases, in is hard to pick favorites, but this one should be on your radar, along with their stunning 2022 Sonnenuhr GG, the single parcel Rotlay, the brilliant Schlossberg Spatlese, and the tasty dry Pinot Blanc!
($35 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive