Today, Johannes Selbach and his wife Barbara, with the increasing help of son Sebastian, manage their vineyards and winery with passion and respect for the estate's long held traditions. 50% of their 21 hectares of vines are on their original rootstocks, in Zeltinger Himmelreich, Schlossberg, and Sonnenuhr; Wehlener Sonnenuhr; and, Graacher Himmelreich and Domprobst. These vineyards of weathered Devonian slate are on a steep, contiguous slope facing south-south west and represent some of the most prestigious sites in all of the Middle Mosel. The Selbach family's heritage in the wine business dates to 1660: Selbach's ancestors shipped wines down the Mosel in their own ships, the wine carried in oak barrels made by cooper Matthias Oster, the great-grandfather on the paternal side of the family. Thus, the winery developed as both a top estate producing some of the region's best wine, and also as a négociant and brokerage firm, consolidating the production of smaller growers.
Johannes, like his late father Hans, has continued the use of traditional oak fuder in his cellar, bringing in new large casks every few years. Vinification is carried out in a combination of fuder and stainless steel, in an hands-off manner with no fining, and predominantly with wild yeasts. The focus is on meticulous work in the vineyard with the aim to produce and bring home perfect fruit. "Selbach aims for a typical modern Mosel style, which reflects the minerality of the rocky Devonian slate soils, as well as the elegance and finesse of the Riesling fruit in clear, crisp, elegant, low-alcohol, yet full-flavored handcrafted wines," says Stephan Reinhardt, in The Finest Wines of Germany.
The hallmark of the estate are 3 old parcels that Selbach-Oster harvests en-bloc; or, as single pickings, with no selections pulled from the vineyard prior to harvesting. The Rotlay (in the Zeltingen Sonnenuhr, rich in iron ore), the Schmitt (in the Zeltingen Schlossberg), and the Anrecht (in the Zeltingen Himmelreich) are all old parcels high on their respective slopes and post trained on their original rootstock. Typically, Auslese is selected by successive passes through the vineyard--picking fruit for Kabinett and Spätlese first and leaving the healthiest berries on the vine to concentrate. For the en-bloc wines selection of this type is avoided, in order to maintain a holistic flavor profile that contains that of ultra-ripe grapes, optimally ripe, and of lesser-ripe ones which has the ability to reflect a complete terroir of both place and moment. Because his approach in winemaking is minimal, Johannes Selbach will allow his wines to ferment naturally, as slow or as complete as manifest, resulting in dry wines in some vintages and fruity in others.
Vineyard area: 21 hectares
Annual production: 13,300 cases
Vineyard holdings:
Zeltingen – Himmelreich, Schlossberg
Sonnenuhr (all blue Devonian slate)
Wehlen – Sonnenuhr (blue Devonian slate)
Graach – Himmelreich, Domprobst (both blue Devonian slate with a layer of loam underneath)
Bernkastel – Badstube (blue Devonian slate)
Wine Advocate 95 "The 2015 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese is very clear, fine and fresh on the nose, which indicates a pretty pure and stony/mineral character.
Wine Advocate 96+ "The 2015 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Auslese * is super clear and flinty on the nose, with smoky/dusty flavors of crushed stones and very
Wine Advocate 94 "The 2017 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spätlese is clear and earthy on the nose that displays a very fine and flinty aroma of golden-yellow
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Germany » Zeltingen-Rachtig
James Suckling 90 "Prototypic Selbach-Oster kabinett with a medium-dry balance and fresh apple and cassis notes. Drink any time during the next five years. Publish Date:
Wine Advocate 97 "The 2016 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Auslese "Schmitt" (AP 24 17) is a very clear, fresh and precise on the nose, with very fine
James Suckling 94 "Super-cool and super-delicate wine with great depth and wonderful balance. A blast of freshness that makes most white wines seem like yesterday's news.
Wine Advocate 92 "The 2015 Riesling Kabinett is super pure, fine and smoky on the nose, a classic Mosel Riesling that shines and attracts, and is
3 Star Robert Parker 93 "Boasting a nose of spicy apples, the 2003 Riesling Auslese Zeltinger Sonnenuhr*** is a large-scaled, medium to full-bodied, boldly assertive wine. Though
Wine Advocate 94 "From the very oldest plot of the cru next to the Rotlay, with more than 100-year-old ungrafted vines with extremely low yields--but highly
Wine Spectator 93 WS TOP 100 2017 Rank 95 "Pungent, with aromas of slate and ripe orchard fruit, this sleek white displays complex flavors of flowers, peach,
Vinous Media 91 "Lovely floral, peach and hazelnut aromas, with a twist of acacia blossom. Delicate apricot on the palate, enlivened by a bracing citrus character.
Robert Parker 93 "The Selbach-Oster 2009 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese displays obvious botrytization in its nose of apple jelly, white raisin, and pungent brown spices. Yet,
Wine Advocate 93+ "Bright and aromatic on the nose, the pale yellow 2013 Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Anrecht reveals clear grapefruit, lemon and lime aromas on the
Wine Advocate 91 "From 30-year-old vines in the filet of the cru, and bottled with 16 grams of residual sugar, the 2014 Zeltinger Himmereich Riesling Kabinett
" ZELTINGER SONNENUHR: is the Premier Grand Cru. Slate, lime, apple, butter-vanilla, rich, almost chewy earthiness, great depth. Some parcels are prized by locals as
Robert Parker 92 "Initial youthful yeastiness in the nose of the Selbachs’ 2010 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spatlese blows off to reveal site-typical aromas of fresh apple
Robert Parker 92 "Honeyed, smoky jellied black fruits can be discerned in the nose of the 2003 Riesling Auslese Zeltinger Sonnenuhr. Medium-bodied and expansive, it reveals
Selbach Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spatlese 2005 Robert Parker 92
Selbach Oster Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett "Stupendously pure and archetypal Wehlen fragrance; gingersnap, lime, and a darkchocolate note from spontaneous fermentation; an iron spine of structure,
Selbach Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese ** Robert Parker 92 Stephen Tanzer 91 "Golden yellow. Smoky aromas of glazed papaya, lemon oil and fennel on a rich bed
Selbach Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenausles 2004 Robert Parker 95 "The 2004 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese was picked out across all of the Selbachs parcels, and came
Selbach Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Beerenauslese 2005
Selbach Oster Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese 2005 Robert Parker 92
Selbach Oster "Schmitt" Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Auslese 2005 Robert Parker 96 "2005 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Auslese Schmitt represents the third year that a block picking from one
Robert Parker 92 "The Selbach 2008 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett smells alluringly of Normandy cider, nut oils, green tea, and hedge flowers. Alkaline, wet stone, and