2018 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese**

This “two-star” bottling projects a strikingly custardy sense of richness and texture to complement its combination of vanilla, marzipan and baked apple with just a hint of white raisin. And, quite predictably given the ways of this site and the features of other Selbach-Oster 2018s, there is heady and then liquidly floral perfume, here evoking rowan and heliotrope. Like certain other ennobled Sonnenuhr bottlings in the present collection, this beauty musters an unexpected and delightful measure of fresh apple juiciness on its superbly sustained and multifaceted finish, along with an invigorating impingement of brown spices and a saliva-stimulating sprinkling of fleur de sel .

A very perfumed riesling, showcasing a plethora of stone fruit, from apricots to nectarines to Chinese plums; besides that, there are bountiful white flowers, such as apple blossom and dried honeysuckle; a hint of floral honey, too. A contrastive palate follows with immense density, but equally impressive depth of acidity. The medium sweetness verges on off-dryness, given the salty, saline character that prevails. Drink now or hold.