This is one of a trio of en-bloc harvested single parcels Johannes will introduce at the end of this report. Bearing in mind that the fundamental principle is to wait as long as possible and then pick the whole vineyard in a single pass, it stands to reason that everything in 2018 would be ripe – very ripe. And very clean. Thus the wine is more of-a-piece than usual, and it’s also well up into the Auslese echelon. Indeed this wine is so rich it almost subsumes its charged minerality – almost! If the palate follows the aroma that mineral will emerge, though it may take some years.

“The 2015 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Auslese Schmitt was picked very ripe and opens with a very clear, deep, intense and mineral nose of crushed stones along with refreshing lemon and grapefruit aromas. Sweet and lush on the palate, this is a very elegant, super piquant, pure and mineral Auslese that is significantly sweeter. It finishes with a lovely, pure, clear and salty finish that gives tension and a certain dry sensation on the palate. This is a great Schlossberg and its firm and tension-filled structure gives it great aging potential.” -95 SR

“Selbach-Oster might be one of the hottest domains along the Mosel, if not in all Germany.” – Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate.