Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Auslese 2001 *

Austere aromas of minerals blended with sauteed onions and fresh scallions are found in the aromas of the 2001 Riesling Auslese Zeltinger Himmelreich* . Pure, focused, and elegant, its deep character reveals caramelized minerals, spices, hints of tangy limes, and resin. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2018. Johannes Selbach, this estate's winemaker and director (as well as Terry Theise's man-on-the-ground in Germany) is on fire. His wines are top flight and yet his winemaking appears to be improving with each vintage. Readers should note that Selbach's wines typically appear substantially better after a few years of cellaring. I've tried to compensate for that by inserting plus (+) signs by those wines that have the most chance of improving significantly over time. (PR, 12/2002)