July 31, 2020

SELBACH-OSTER Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Trocken*** “GG” 2018

(Mosel, Germany) $37

At its best, German riesling doesn’t just have acidity; it has juicy, delicious acidity—the kind that’s so kinetic, you fear the wine glass might burst. Not to mention a minerality so vibrant it seems to scream with excitement. This very bone dry (trocken) riesling from Selbach-Oster is a great example. The freshness and citrusy precision are off-the-charts. If ever there was a terrific wine for drinking right this (summery) minute, this is it. The “***” references the single oak vat this wine was made in, and “GG” denotes this dry wine’s equivalency to a grand cru. The Selbach family’s wine heritage goes back to 1660, and the family is deeply passionate about riesling. 13% abv

92 points KM

Available at K&L Wine Merchants

Which wine professional wrote this bit of advice to a grandchild: “The world is in perpetual motion, and we must invent the things of tomorrow. You must go before others, be determined and exacting, and let your intelligence direct your life. Act with audacity.”

A. Edmond de Rothschild

B. Michael Broadbent

C. Nicole (Veuve) Clicquot

D. Robert Mondavi

Nicole Clicquot (known as Veuve— “Widow”—Clicquot) was born Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin in 1777 in Reims, in the Champagne region of France. She was the daughter of one of the city’s wealthy textile merchants. At the age of 21, Nicole Ponsardin was married (in an arranged marriage) to Francois Clicquot, the son of a competing textile merchant. Although in line to inherit major textile firms, Both Nicole and Francois were more interested in wine, which both of their families produced, in addition to textiles. Francois died after only seven years of marriage from what may have been a suicide, but in the end, was attributed to typhoid. Nicole, still in her 20s, took over the fledgling wine business much to the dismay of her in-laws. Although the business was failing at the time, Nicole Clicquot built the Champagne house into one of the most successful in France and made Champagne a fixture in royal courts throughout Europe in the 19^th century. Quite the businesswoman, she also invented riddling racks (pupitres)—A-shaped frames—that, after the second fermentation, are used to collect yeasts in the necks of Champagne bottles so that the yeasts can be removed. In addition, her 1810 vintage Champagne is thought to have been the very first vintage Champagne. The quote above is from a letter Nicole Clicquot wrote to a grandchild in the last years of her life.

Coffee Pot? Pot Coffee?

Your Keurig machine is about to redefine the idea of a “coffee pot.” The San Diego-based company Cannabiniers has introduced Brewbudz– cannabis coffee pods (and yeah, cannabis-infused tea and cocoa pods, too). The compostable pods contain the… Continue reading

SELBACH-OSTER Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Trocken*** “GG” 2018

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