WINE INFORMATION

As producers and negociants, the Selbach family has been involved in the wine trade sine 1660. The Selbach ancestors shipped wine down the Mosel in their own ships using barrels made by cooper Matthias Oster, great-grandfather of the current owner-winemaker Johannes. Family traditions are strong; Johannes and Barbara manage their 24 ha of vineyards with the help of their children, Sebastian and Hannah. Ownership of vineyards in the Mosel is similar to that of Burgundy: famous, high-quality sites are owned by several people, often for many generations. The Selbachs have plots in six of these, and 54% are on the original rootstocks. The holdings are in the middle Mosel , 85% on very steep steep, south- and southeast-facing slopes. Soils here are largely blue Devonian slate. Johannes follows the practices of his late father Hans, using traditional oak fuder in the cellar, bringing in new large casks every few years. Vinification takes place in both fuder and stainless steel using a non-interventionist philosophy. Wild yeasts are used for fermentation, which takes as much time as is necessary. Wines are unfined and often better with a few years’ age under their belts.

The grapes for this wine are a selection of fruit from around the towns of Piesport, Zeltingen, Graach, and Wehlen in the Middle Mosel, planted on red and blue slate. Fruit is sustainably farmed and manually harvested. The slopes here are almost impossibly steep, hence the name “Incline.” The must ferments with native yeasts in stainless steel with no malolactic. There’s a tiny bit of residual sugar, not enough to make the wine sweet but just enough to balance the racy crisp acidity and stony minerality.

TASTING NOTES

Aromas are classic of the Mosel-minerally, dominated by slate. Fruit is also there, with melon and light apricot notes. Flavors are bright, clean, and precise, with green apples and apricot joined by citrus from midpalate to finish. There’s enough fruit sugar to balance the typically high Mosel acidity.

FOOD PAIRING

This is a great aperitif but also a good food partner. Pair with oysters, shrimp, scallops, or white fish (maybe with fruit salsa). Try with pork or veal scaloppini, ham or mildly salty cheeses. Quiche works, as do Thai and Malaysian foods. Also a good partner with Indian food (don’t be afraid to use exotic spices like curry, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, mace, star anise, cumin or turmeric!)

Brunch Foods, Chicken/Turkey, Duck, East Asian (Chinese/Japanese/Korean), Fish (white), Ham, Just for Cocktailing, Perfect Aperitif , Pork, Roasted Root Vegetables, Spicy Food, Sushi, Thai or Vietnamese, Wild Game