The Selbachs’ “one star” 2007 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spatlese smells Chartreuse-like in its amalgam of distilled, ethereal herbal essences and floral perfume. Subtle alkaline and stony mineral suggestions and hints of vanilla inflect a Platonically pure apple fruit on the palate, with floral and herbal notes wafting through to a ravishing if quite overtly sweet finish. I don’t find the typically smoky or charred notes I usually associate with this site. But this example Johannes Selbach’s recent interest in properly showcasing the potential of the Schlossberg also serves as a reminder that, like Himmelreich, it represents a large and diverse surface area. This is a Spatlese to follow for at least two decades. 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.

The Selbach “one-star” 2007 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spatlese trocken* adds the savory richness of meat stock to the charred, stony mineral aspects of Schlossberg, for an effect a bit like Chablis-on-the-Mosel. Grapefruit rind and apricot kernel along with crushed stone give this too a certain sense of austerity, but there is plenty of refreshment, and as a formidable sense of stuffing remains allied to real refinement and considerable mysterious depth. I can’t wait to see how this is going to evolve over the next dozen years, and I am confident most Riesling enthusiasts who follow it will be happy they did. 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.

The “one star” 2004 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spatlese * (A.P. #32) – which at the time I tasted it was still under consideration to be released as an Auslese – smells of baked apple, marzipan and white raisin. In the mouth, this wine is creamy and rich, though without the juiciness that lent some of the other best 2004s there particular infectiousness. Instead this wine creeps up on you and convinces you of its profundity in a long, polished finish that reprises baked apple and almond along with a glaze of honey, a lick of stone, and a delectably salty note. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

While sulfur dominated the nose of the 2002 Riesling Spatlese Zeltinger Schlossberg * at first, with aeration spicy, creamed minerals and white flowers came to the fore. A plush, pleasing, light to medium-bodied wine, it reveals soft layers of sweet apples and pears that are intermingled with thyme. As with the previous offering, this effort is harmonious and edge-free. Anticipated maturity: now-2020. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300