I say a quick note because Selbach-Oster wines really don't need much analysis or pontification. They are not great, but they are also never bad. I look at them, especially in the period of '98-'03, as good introductory Mosel wines. Always classic wines but usually lacking a little stuffing or verve that could push them into the upper echelon. When they starting making "Schmitt" and "Rotlay" the winery starting getting a bit more serious. The wine in question is the 2002 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese* whcih was solid as Mosel Riesling gets, but not exceptional in any way. Nice nose of secondary petrol, vanilla, caramel and green apple notes. Palate was like a real Spatlese with nice sweetness cut by solid acidity, not quite piquant. It tanged up in the fridge over the next few days and gained a touch more depth, but it did come across as lithe. The level of extract was very low. And yes I am complaining about too little extract. A little more and this could have been an exceptional wine. The fruit seemed dilute. Balance was there, good purity, not great, and a nice long tangy, slate-infused finish.
Friday, April 16, 2010
A quick note on a Selbach-Oster 2002 Spatlese
I say a quick note because Selbach-Oster wines really don't need much analysis or pontification. They are not great, but they are also never bad. I look at them, especially in the period of '98-'03, as good introductory Mosel wines. Always classic wines but usually lacking a little stuffing or verve that could push them into the upper echelon. When they starting making "Schmitt" and "Rotlay" the winery starting getting a bit more serious. The wine in question is the 2002 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese* whcih was solid as Mosel Riesling gets, but not exceptional in any way. Nice nose of secondary petrol, vanilla, caramel and green apple notes. Palate was like a real Spatlese with nice sweetness cut by solid acidity, not quite piquant. It tanged up in the fridge over the next few days and gained a touch more depth, but it did come across as lithe. The level of extract was very low. And yes I am complaining about too little extract. A little more and this could have been an exceptional wine. The fruit seemed dilute. Balance was there, good purity, not great, and a nice long tangy, slate-infused finish.
That is a perfect description of Selbach wines. I drank cases upon cases of them in college. No need to feel guilty drinking them really young, and it really doesn't matter what vineyard the liquor store's got, because they all taste so similar.
ReplyDelete...and I've never once been disappointed. Sometimes low expectations are a blessing.
My local guy has SB 02 Zeltinger Schlossberg (sp?) for about $15.00, which does indeed taste just like what you describe. May well have been sitting on the shelf since 04. Great wine to have around at that price.
ReplyDeleteI've drunk more bottles of Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese (various vintages/stars) than any other German wine. It's always been an excellent value; it's not meant to be profund - it's meant to be drunk.
ReplyDeleteWhy are you criticizing a $20 wine for not being the quality of a $50+ wine?
Krak,
ReplyDeleteNo where in my post did I criticize a $20 wine for not being a $50 wine. You must have misunderstood. Selbach-Oster is good for what it is. That is the point.