Yeasty fermentative aromas rise from the glass of Selbach-Oster 2007 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett but so do attractive aromas of cherry and cranberry, lily-of-the-valley perfume, mint, sage, and ripe honeydew. This has a lovely lightness on the palate, allied to a subtle creaminess of texture, and saline, meaty finishing notes. Once its aromas emerge more clearly, it should have at least a 12-15 years road ahead of it. 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 2005 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett smells vividly of ginger-tinged black cherry right down to the pit. It exhibits amazing richness on the palate yet also true Kabinett elegance, refreshment, and lightness of touch. Sappy, spicy, juicy, and multi-dimensionally mineral in a finish of tonic satisfaction (never, of course, losing sight of the cherries), this wine offers amazingly mouth-coating persistence and – despite harboring nearly 50 grams of residual sugar (high for this estate) – exhibits perfect balance. I'm betting that this exceptional value is a 20-year Kabinett that won't have a bad day along the way. “For me, 2005 is a singular vintage in my career,” says Johannes Selbach, “in that it is ripe, multi-faceted, and has excellent acidity. You can pick any of the other recent classics – 1975, 1990 ... . Each of the benchmark years is great in its way, however here you have a combination that is fun to drink now, ten years from now, and in thirty years as well. It remains to be seen, but I think 2005 is in another league.” Readers will indeed be hard pressed this year to find another address with this many consistently outstanding wines, and when has there ever been a more diverse and at the same time magnificent array of Auslesen? In their upper reaches, the Selbach 2005s seem – like Zilliken's, but in their own unique way – to chart a trajectory beyond the normal course for their vintage. The harvest here extended from mid-October to mid-November.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

This wine exhibits lovely and rich aromas of smoke, minerals, Earl Grey tea, and currants. This sharp, racy, pure, and lively wine has a medium body, excellent concentration, and beautifully delineated stones, petrol, and minerals in its core. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2004+. Johannes Selbach, one of the kindest, funniest, and most engaging winemakers I know, crafted some lovely wines in 1996.A Terry Theise Estate Selection, Imported by Kronheim & Co., Jessup, MD; tel. (410) 724-3369. (Reviewed by P. A. Rovani)