Fermented half each in tank and cask, the 2009 Weissburgunder trocken –originating in Zeltinger Himmelreich parcels originally envisioned for sparkling wine but too generous in ripening for that purpose – offers the variety-typical combination of subtle creaminess with refreshing acidity, reinforced by impingement of CO2. Scents of diverse flowers and apply fruit offer both aromatic and palate allure, with vanilla, apple pit, and wet stone in the finish making for considerable resemblance to a Mosel Riesling. A hint of lanolin points toward the barrel. You’d be hard-pressed to guess that this harbored 13% alcohol. It’s too soon to render a judgment on age-worthiness of Selbach Pinot Blanc based on specific track record, but knowing both the ways of Selbach Riesling trocken and of good Pinot Blanc in general I would not be shocked if this showed well for the better part of a decade. “The autumn was super, with little stress,” remarked Johannes Selbach, who is more often seen furrowing his exceedingly high brow when describing even a highly successful harvest! What there was of botrytis, he reports, came late, and he reported that what rain there was in November was of negligible significance. Where many 2009 collections disappointed slightly as they reached the limits of possible vintage Oechsle, the Selbach-Oster collection proceeded from strength to profound strength. Most of the wines were bottled in May, but some of the dry and nobly sweet lots were very late even to finish fermenting and a few had not yet been bottled even when I tasted in September. True to an intention he stated last year, Selbach has bottled without Pradikat the fruits of block-pickings from his three top parcels, each named on its label. (For more about the principles involved, consult in particular my note on the 2005 “Schmitt” Auslese – in issue 169 – and that on this year’s dry “Schmitt” Spatlese below.) This year’s collection continues the trend for wines from Zeltingen’s Schlossberg to shine with special complexity and elegance after the many years in which they seemed destined at this address to take a back seat to those of Sonnenuhr. Not only were the vineyards of Zeltingen among the most celebrated on the Mosel during the 19th and early 20th century, but Karl Heinrich Koch epochal survey of 1881 places the Schlossberg as among the Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer’s top 11 sites, and one can appreciate this while savoring a wine like this year’s “Schmitt” trocken.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

The 2006 Weissburgunder Kabinett trocken displays a subtly smoky and crushed stone cast that works well with the natural toasty nuttiness of this variety. And like most of the best Pinot Blanc, this manages to combine a sense of stuffing and flattering creaminess with lift and refreshment. Hints of lanolin and toast are also contributed by a newish barrel. This has a lot of potential at table, and might well continue to be worth following for 3-5 years, although there is no track record. 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