2001 Riesling Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese**

The Selbachsx000D initially compared this clearly superb vintage with their other most successfulx000D collections of the 1990s '90, '94 andx000D '96. "But as the multifacetedx000D flavors and mouth-coating richness of the wines emerged," says Johannesx000D Selbach, "we became more inclined to draw comparison with the greatx000D 1975s." While that comparison mayx000D be stylistically justified, the claim is in a sense overly modest, ignoring asx000D it does more than a quarter century of ever more rigorous and savvy winemakingx000D on the part of two generations of Selbachs. x000D I characterized the Selbach-Oster 1996s as the best wines this estatex000D had ever bottled, but their most successful 2001s are yet more stellar.x000D And for all of the superlatives you'll readx000D below, bear in mind that additional, later-picked Eiswein as well as anotherx000D TBA were not reviewed since they were still fermenting in August.x000D (Terry Theise)Also recommended: 2001 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlesex000D Trocken , 2001x000D Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spatlese ($22), 2001 Graacher Himmelreichx000D Riesling Spatlese , 2001x000D Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese ($27), 2001 Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Auslesex000D ($29), 2001x000D Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese ($36).

The Selbachsx000D initially compared this clearly superb vintage with their other most successfulx000D collections of the 1990s '90, '94 andx000D '96. "But as the multifacetedx000D flavors and mouth-coating richness of the wines emerged," says Johannesx000D Selbach, "we became more inclined to draw comparison with the greatx000D 1975s." While that comparison mayx000D be stylistically justified, the claim is in a sense overly modest, ignoring asx000D it does more than a quarter century of ever more rigorous and savvy winemakingx000D on the part of two generations of Selbachs. x000D I characterized the Selbach-Oster 1996s as the best wines this estatex000D had ever bottled, but their most successful 2001s are yet more stellar.x000D And for all of the superlatives you'll readx000D below, bear in mind that additional, later-picked Eiswein as well as anotherx000D TBA were not reviewed since they were still fermenting in August.x000D (Terry Theise)Also recommended: 2001 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlesex000D Trocken , 2001x000D Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spatlese ($22), 2001 Graacher Himmelreichx000D Riesling Spatlese , 2001x000D Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese ($27), 2001 Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Auslesex000D ($29), 2001x000D Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese ($36).