Selbach’s 2007 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese smells of distillate-like, ethereal apple and peach, tinged with vanilla and caramel. Viscous, yet almost weightlessly delicate on the palate, this boasts a deep, nutty richness and a complex, long finishing colloquy that will occupy your mind even after the flavors have died from the palate – and in this case, that takes a long time. As an epitome of the buoyant character exhibited by so many of the best 2007s and as one of the noblest expressions of botrytis in that vintage, this is going to stand as a monument to it a half century or more from now.The Selbach crew did some pre-selection at the end of September, leading directly into a main harvest that lasted until November 10. Johannes Selbach says he often had to find things to keep his crew occupied while waiting for what he judged the optimum moments to pick. After having been through 2006, he was determined to have everything and everybody ready should circumstances suddenly dictate haste, which of course they never did. Selbach was delighted – as a self-proclaimed defender of “true Kabinett” – to have some genuinely light-weight yet intensely-flavored wines this year, and he was the first to acknowledge that not only the prevailing weather but also the abundant crop (even allowing for thinning) helped make ripe-tasting yet relatively low must-weight Riesling possible. He notes that there was relatively little botrytis, and then late. In view of that assessment, I was surprised at the extent to which this year’s Spatlesen evinced evidence of it. As for the dry and nearly-dry wines in this year’s collection, “it’s like a homecoming,” remarks Selbach, “to get back to wines with stuffing but that are sleek, anything but heavy, and inviting of the next sip.”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.

A thick, honeyed dessert wine, very clean and balanced, offering apricot, candied lemon and orange peel notes. A bit cloying on the finish, but the acidity eventually freshens it. Drink now through 2045. 25 cases made, 1 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Germany / Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Select to Add

Botrytis smoke signals and a faintly stale bread and white truffle complexity that I associate with the great 1971s rise from the glass of Selbachs 2006 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, along with mango, peach preserves, mint, and orange and grapefruit marmalade, which then pour onto the palate in creamy, honeyed, rich profusion. For all of that sheer richess, this admirably pure example of ennobled Riesling also demonstrates the remarkable degree of lift and sheer refreshment that can be expressed by its vintage, even in a wine of stratospheric ripeness and unctuous viscosity. There is a “cool,” positively refreshing mint- and wet stone-inflected character to this wine’s soothing finish that will haunt you from sip to sip (and, for a rare few, from bottle to bottle). Savor this spread over a 50 year period or lifetime, whichever comes first. The harvest almost filled the month of October, but by the standards of this large estate with holdings stretching across four communes, that is (in Johannes Selbach’s words) “super quick” and volume was down 30% from the already small 2005 harvest. Musts were sometimes fined with bentonite but never with charcoal. “This is my year of superlatives,” says Selbach. “When I think of my children and their children, and about a wine one could open in a hundred years and say ‘Wow!’ one dreams of wines from great historical vintages like 1911, 1921, 1953 ... and that in one’s own lifetime one might experience and harvest wines that would number among them. For me, that’s 2006.” Selbach took an interest in Pinot Blanc for sparkling wine, since there are some promising old vines in cooler side locations of Zeltingen’s Schlossberg. But he now thinks the fruit will probably always be too ripe for that purpose, whereas the still results are themselves promising.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