September 24, 2021

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SELBACH OSTER Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Feinherb “Ur” Alte Reben

(Mosel, Germany) $35

Ethereal and sumptuous. It’s nearly impossible to convey the deliciousness of small production Selbach Oster’s Riesling from the famous Sonnenuhr (sundial) vineyard in the village of Zelting. The wine has long lines of peachy freshness, a crystalline minerality, and beautiful citrusy acidity that fairly hums through the wine. This is classic, artisanal Mosel Riesling at its best with just a pinch of sweetness that ties the flavors together into one exquisite bundle. This rare wine comes from vines more than 100 years old and is made in old Mosel fuders (barrels). A cool fall night, a pork roast, some acorn squash and this wine, and I’m mindlessly happy. (12.5% abv)

95 points KM

Available at Vine Republic

What is Pastis?

A. The French word for “shatter”—that is, the failure of grapes to develop because the flowers that would have become the grapes remained unfertilized

B. A rough-and-ready workingman’s wine, notably drunk in bars in Burgundy

C. A licorice-flavored French liqueur with a cloudy greenish-yellow color

D. The general Italian term for wines made from grapes that have been intentionally dried by laying out the clusters on straw mats or hanging them up in special drying rooms

God forbid you find yourself in a café in southern France this summer and not in the mood to drink rosé. But just in case, there is another famous, well-loved libation that’s famous in that area—Pastis, a mild licorice-flavored liqueur served as an aperitif with a carafe of ice water. (Pastis gets its licoricey flavor from star anise.) When the water is added to the pastis, the drink immediately turns ominously cloudy. (A related more strongly flavored liqueur—Absinthe—gets its licoricey flavor from a substance once, but no longer, banned–wormwood). As for (A), the failure of grapes to be fertilized, that is known as coulure in French. A rustic wine served in Burgundy’s bars (B) is called passetoutgrains and is a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. And answer D is the definition of the Italian term passito.

21.69

The amount (in U.S. dollars) that a case of the 1952 Stony Hill Chardonnay cost upon release in 1954 (including tax and delivery)! Fred McCrea, founder of the winery, was an adman and pitched the wine in handwritten letters… Continue reading

SELBACH OSTER Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Feinherb “Ur” Alte Reben

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