2022 Weingut Selbach Oster, Riesling Trocken, Zeltingen “Sonnenuhr” Grosses Gewächs, Mosel, Germany.
As I’ve noted recently in prior reviews, there’s so much to admire in Selbach Oster’s latest set of releases, in is hard to pick favorites, but there are ones that you should really look out for, with their stunning 2022 Sonnenuhr GG being maybe my first choice, along with the single parcel Rotlay Riesling, the brilliant 2023 Schlossberg Spatlese and the 2023 Himmelreich Kabinett. This stunning 2022 Sonnenuhr Grosses Gewächs Riesling is an almost flawless dry Riesling with incredible mineral intensity and Chablis Grand Cru elegance, it shows off a steely core of classic Mosel slatey influenced citrus and apple fruits, smoky spice, a touch of tropical essences, crystalized ginger, clove, quince and bitter almond notes. Stony and crisp, this excellent, slightly floral toned Riesling has plenty of mouth watering acidity, though still very Selbach like in its pleasure on the medium bodied palate, with lovely generosity, concentration and depth. This is definitely one of the wines to watch in the current set of releases, which I was lucky enough to taste through with Johannes Selbach himself, along with his son Sebastian, who’s taken on a much bigger role in the last few years with some equally big success, and they’ve produced some fantastic wines, like this one. I’ve personally collected and enjoyed the Selbach Oster wines since about 2002 and have had great and rewarding experiences with them, especially with some age on them. I will also note, while I am a acid head and love the dry wines here, do not fear the sugar, their off dry and sweet bottlings are absolutely glorious and sublime with hedonism and impeccable balance, so never miss the chance to have their luscious Spatlese and Auslese efforts. The Selbach’s also do a unique, mouth wateringly dry and flinty Pinot Blanc that I also recommend, in case you might need a break from the Rieslings!
Johannes Selbach, as mentioned before, like Dr. Loosen, is one of Germany’s best known winemakers of his generation, and son Sebastian are raising the game here at Selbach-Oster, with an amazing collection of offerings from the 2022 and 2023 vintages. The winery, which dates back here in the Mosel since the 1600s, is looking forward and backwards, paying tribute to generations of Selbachs and their traditions as well as embracing the future with all of its uncertainties with confidence and intensity of their work. 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, like those that go into this masterpiece. I’m a huge and long time fan of these wines from Himmelreich, Schlossberg and Sonnenuhr, all set on blue Devonian slate, again, 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, as seen here with this monumental Sonnenuhr GG. It was wonderful to see Johannes Selbach at Skurnik Wines West Coast German and Austrian wine portfolio tasting earlier this Summer and recapture Mosel groove and my Riesling thrill.
($48 Est.) 96 Points, grapelive