Harvested in the last days of September, Selbach’s 2011 Weissburgunder trocken struggles to deliver the juicy and refreshing side of Pinot Blanc, but buttressed by 13% alcohol it succeeds admirably in exhibiting the expansive, creamy-textured virtues of which this grape is capable. What’s more, its aromas and flavors are downright intriguing. Ashen and smoky notes atop sweet, nutty toastiness of wheat germ lend the nose a Burgundian aura clearly influenced by a fuder that still has flavors to donate. But there is also a very Pinot Blanc-typical, piquant suggestion of sour corn mash (to which the hint of charry smokiness adds yet another whisky allusion). Not only is there just enough sense of freshness to leaven this, but notes of apple and lemon pit offer tiny bursts of bitterness just sufficient to engender a sense of invigoration. It should prove interestingly useful over at least the next several years. (To keep down the alcohol, the Selbachs’ crew scrupulously picked out the small number of bunches that were nobly botrytized, and these informed a Weissburgunder T.B.A. that was still fermenting as of last autumn.) Picking for Riesling began chez Selbach in the first days of October and finished already on the 26th. “We harvested consistent with a principle on which I put ever-greater emphasis: to pick ripe, but not overripe,” remarks Johannes Selbach. “The luxury we had is that not only did the weather remain stable, but we did not have to deal with volatile acids or acetification” of grapes on the vine. Fruit was typically crushed for the dry wines, but not permitted skin contact, although Selbach emphasizes that his usual practice of encouraging relatively long stays on the fine lees for every style of Riesling he crafts was critical to donating structure, complexity, and a sense of stuffing to these products of a relatively low-acid, high-yielding vintage. Two T.B.A.s and a B.A. were still fermenting as of last autumn and will have to be assessed in connection with my vintage 2012 report. Importers: There are a few regional importers of certain Selbach wines, but the majority (and those whose prices are noted above) are Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300