2012 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese feinherb Ur Alte Reben- Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (7/3/2020)
Shared with friends at an outdoor, distanced get together, this brought us all a lot closer. If I had to pick a single word to describe the wine it would be harmony. Everything was exactly where it needed to be. This was the first vintage for the wine, so I had been wondering when it would hit an early peak of deliciousness. Now I know!
I can’t say I have a ton of experience to go on, but my sense is that Selbach Oster does a really good job with feinherb/halbtrocken and trocken wines. Not to take away from the sweet wines, which can certainly be superb, but I feel like I always come away from the drier ones especially impressed.
The introduction of the Feinherb wines has been a triumph. That being said, I adore the Kabinett through Auslese range, and buy tons and drink tons every year.
It was a 1995 Selbach-Oster Auslese that turned me into a German wine fanatic.
I thought the '15 is drinking very well. The wine comes together very well from the nose to the back of the mouth. Nothing felt out of place. If this is how you felt about '12, I would say this vintage would be similar in regards to it being harmonious. Such a lovely wine. I went back and bought more at my local shop for $13.
Sort of crazy these wines would go close out. I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but this is a remarkable single plot of ungrafted vines on a plateau that Johannes acquired in the early ‘10s and now produces this remarkable wine every year.
Anyone had the ‘17 recently? That was so taut last year on release, but even a little bottle age (in the limited experience we have with these wines) seems to go a long way - I thought so with ‘12, ‘15, and ‘16.
2017 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese feinherb Ur Alte Reben- Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (3/10/2020)
After two weeks of abstinence for a medical procedure, this was the first wine I opened. I thought it was appropriate given that it was a bottle of Selbach-Oster that initially opened my eyes to the greatness of German Riesling. This was an excellent choice, as the wine showed great palate definition, and was also perfectly balanced to work with food. The finish was dry, but echoed the crisp apple and pear fruit from the nose. Distinct petrichor notes formed the base for the fruit. Just lovely.