Selbach-Oster was in town today to present a number of their 2017s, plus a few 2016s. I have long admired the wines- finding them among the most ethereal of the great Mosel producers- but their availability dwindled here in Texas for a while. I was actually glad of the presence of a few 2016s because 2017 proved today to be such a singular vintage that, without a few of its direct antecedents present, I would have thought perhaps there had been a stylistic shift at Selbach-Oster. In time, I am sure that error would have been remedied- but still, today was the first time I have tasted a range of 2017s and they are something else. The closest comparison I can make is 2005, but even so, these 2017s have more fire to them and plenty of acid backing as well.
It also appears to be a vintage that favors the upper Pradikat levels. Happily, today’s visit included a very generous order book as well as a number of enthusiastic fellow buyers (I attended in the capacity of consumer, not in an ITB role), so later this year a group of us will be able to sit down and taste from the starred Auslesen to the TBA itself.
Two side notes,
Starting with the 2017 vintage, the single designation Auslese-level wines (Anrecht, Schmitt and Rotlay) will bear gold capsules in every vintage going forward as a means to further emphasize their relative high status in the Selbach-Oster range.
Generally speaking, Kabinett and lower were under screw-cap. The rest bore corks.
And now the TNs. Except where noted, all wines were opened 60-90 minutes prior to tasting,
2016 Selbach-Oster Riesling Kabinett [from bottle opened the day prior]
cuddly nose with bread notes, creamy minerals and sweet orange, on the palate a pretty wine but a bit short in the middle and on the tail end- though to be fair that could be a perception issue in light of the fact this came after the range of 2017s noted below, solid and savory wine. **+, now to 2025.
2016 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett [from bottle opened the day prior]
a generous and inviting nose of citrus and pear with attractive white minerals and hints of baked bread, a nicely broad palate of apples and pears, good length, a most enjoyable 2016- drink it now while the 2015s and 2017s bide their time. ***, now to 2025+
2016 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling ***
lovely ethereal nose with peach, mango and rose petal, sweet clay, good depth on the generous and also lively palate, fine long finish that is quite dry but also has a slightly sweet note to it, an interesting sort of combo of dry and sweet- a singular and attractive wine worth seeking out. ***+, now to 2030
2016 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Anrecht
soaring nose of peaches and pear with some generous hints of tropical fruits, on the palate a beauty of sheer class, generous if still primary, pure peach, lemongrass, good length, soft and rounded lemon acids in the finish, lovely now and should be a mid-term charmer, but is also has the balance to perhaps evolve and endure even more than I imagine at present. **(), now to 2030+
2016 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Auslese ‘Schmitt’
a generous and alluring nose with orchard and citrus fruits, apple, pear, on the palate a great sense of joy already, lively, open and inviting, at present the fruits tend toward peach and pear with lime tones on the rounded acid finish, river-worn white pebbles, hints of blueberry, a succulent wine, fine lengthy finish. **()+, now to 2030+
2017 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese trocken
pale lemon color, peaches and apple on the nose, on the palate apple-driven fruit with soft white marble notes, solid primary mid-palate, good lengthy complex dry finish with darker gravel notes. ***, now to 2027+
2017 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese feinherb Ur Alte Reben
pale lemon color, citrus on the nose- oranges, some orchard, playful limes and minerals, on the palate a bit tight, fine depth and persistence with a great citrus fruit presence, splendidly defined, long zesty finish of lime-flavored acids. **(*)+, 2022-2030+
2017 Selbach-Oster Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese feinherb Alte Reben
pale lemon color, a more ethereal nose than the Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, soft citrus, cuddly peaches, hints of white blossoms, on the palate well rounded with good depth, closed but showing a good bit of primary fruit at present, lovely sweet earth note leading into a fine long finish dripping with limes. **(*), 2022-2030+
2017 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett
light lemon color, very tight on the nose- showing hints only of dark earth, hints of grey stone, on the palate very tight with strong tones of jagged white stones, peach and apple fruits somewhat in hiding, oranges, fine lengthy finish, very closed at present- but very promising, and yet despite being so closed this feels as though it will be quite flamboyant when mature. (****), 2027-2040
2017 Selbach-Oster Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese
light lemon color, broad and deep nose, quite closed but with strong hints of intense blood orange, on the palate a delightful wine with more heft than I had expected, light on its feet as one would hope but also with a great persistence and even some degree of opulence, excellent length with a great mass of lime acids buffered by the sheer scale of the fruit, a Spatlese with the heart of a lion, so little is showing but there is no doubt this will be a real stunner in time. (****)+, 2027-2050
2017 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Anrecht
bright light lemon color, a grand and tight nose- yet still showing hints of mango, peach and pear, a palate of formidable scale, as with the nose quite grand while also remaining very primary and closed, pear, citrus, white cherry, peach, citrus, deep and brooding mid-palate, superb and effortless length with the genteel fruit coating a generous acid base, this should be sensational in time. (*****), 2030-2050+
2017 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Rotlay
bright lemon color, nose almost completely shut down at first- and yet brooding with notes of citrus and orchard fruits plus a few tropical delights, on the palate a thunderous impact, also closed but with a grand force of full and sweet fruit showing hints of blueberry, pear, peach, apple and pineapple, length to burn- a mass of lime acids dripping in sweet peaches and pears, an hour later (the only wine I was able to revisit) and the thunderous palate impact had become a breathtaking blaze of wild blood oranges on a scale one rarely sees, in this respect I can only compare it to the 2001 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 375eme Anniversaire or one of the great Mosel dessert wines from the 2005 vintage, Auslese in name and deft balance- this feels more like a Beerenauslese in scale and richness, utterly magnificent. (*****), 2035-2050+
