Our family has been linked to Mosel wine for 400 years. For centuries, high-quality Riesling wines have been produced in our steep slopes through elaborate manual work in harmony with Nature. With truly unique qualities, wines from these locations have shaped the reputation of high-quality Mosel wines all over the world.
Selbach-Oster wines come from great vineyard sites that have been recognized for centuries. They are not zeitgeist wines that change according to fashion or are “made” according to recipes. They are individual characters, wines with structure, wines that show their origin, rooted like the old vines, deep in the slate.
Shaped by a truly special terroir and microclimate, our wines have great aging potential. They are very long-lived and develop additional complexity over the course of many years through secondary and tertiary aromas that enrich their taste spectrum.
They present a wealth of the finest aromas, depth of flavors and complexity, while maintaining clarity and minerality; they are delicate and lively without a high alcohol content.
Many of our vineyards contain a rare treasure: they are still partly planted with ungrafted vines, which are sometimes over 100 years old and produce loose clusters with very small-berried and highly aromatic fruit. 92 percent of our vineyards are planted with Riesling; the rest is shared by Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir.
Top sites and the long vegetation period on the Mosel offer excellent conditions to make great, filigree wines that reflect their origin. Our dry wines are vinified from fully ripe, healthy grapes. Noble rot plays an important role, especially in our vineyards near the water surface of the the river. Our noble sweet wines shine with a fascinating combination of nuanced aromas, depth of taste, perfectly integrated sweetness and, at the same time, animating elegance.
We are proud that our estate enjoys a worldwide reputation. Numerous awards and consistently excellent reviews prove this impressively.
German Press Review.
High quality starts with low yields. We set the course with a short and gentle pruning of the vines in winter. Caring for and training the vines require enormous efforts – especially in our steep slopes. This is especially true for the manual harvest of grapes in several passes.
In the cellar we give our wines time. They reward us in return with an expressive individuality and considerable ageing potential. Our understanding of cellar work is guided by the concentration on the essentials: to process only the best grapes as pristine and gentle as possible and to give the wine ample time.
The fermentation, almost entirely by wild, native yeasts, takes place slowly, at low temperatures, to preserve fine aromas and to maintain freshness and finesse. Our wines mature calmly on the lees, partly in stainless steel tanks, partly in large, old traditional fuder barrels made from German oak. These do not impart oaky notes onto the wine, but allow it to breathe through the staves which via micro-oxidation positively influences the maturation process.
Making top wines is not a solo program.
An important part of our large family are our employees. Their passion and meticulous work are exemplary and they make an indispensable contribution to the success. Very different characters, but all of them committed to achieve a common goal: making great, characterful Rieslings, typical for the Mosel.
