Selbach Oster - Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese 1994

Introduction - The Selbach-Oster Winery

The Selbach-Oster winery is located in the municipality of Zeltingen in the heart of the Middle Moselle and can look back on over 400 years of winegrowing tradition. The Selbach family, originally from Ürzig, has been growing wine since 1600, while the Oster family worked as coopers in Zeltingen. The great-grandfather of the current owner Johannes Selbach owned his own steamship, which was used to ship the wines transported in the barrels of the cooper Matthias Oster via the Moselle and Rhine to the North Sea ports.

In 1963, the family-owned vineyards were separated from the traditional "Kellerei J & H Selbach" winery and amalgamated into the independent "Selbach-Oster" winery. Today, the 20-hectare estate is run by Johannes Selbach and his wife Barbara. 98 per cent of the vineyards are planted with Riesling, most of which is grown on old, ungrafted plots and more than half on ungrafted vines over 55 years old. Selbach-Oster is one of the ten best wineries on the Moselle.

The Zeltinger Sonnenuhr site - the little sister of the Wehlener Sonnenuhr

The VDP.GROSSE LAGE® Sonnenuhrextends over around 40 hectares on the steep slope above the Middle Moselle valley around the eponymous sundial:

• Location & climate:The south-facing steep slope, which often has an incline of 60 to 80 per cent, is protected from cold northerly winds and offers ideal conditions for long, slow ripening of the grapes thanks to its optimal exposure to the sun. In terms of quality potential, the Zeltinger Sonnenuhr is in no way inferior to the famous Wehlener Sonnenuhr.

• Terroir: The terroir is characterised by fine, light, blue Devonian slate and weathered slate soil. The slate soil retains heat, provides excellent drainage and gives the Rieslings their characteristic minerality, often described as salty and full of verve, and their impressive longevity.

• Vine age: The plots at the Sonnenuhr vineyard are planted with old, ungrafted vines that are often over 80 years old. These deep-rooted old vines produce small, highly concentrated berries with an extraordinary variety of flavours and depth.

The predicate level Beerenauslese (BA)

The development as Beerenauslese- and not as Spätlese or Auslese - is the decisive leap in quality. For a Beerenauslese, only fully ripe grapes are harvested, most of which have been damaged by noble rot. This explains both the bottle size, which is halved to 375 ml, and the often extremely low alcohol content of around 7.5 per cent by volume.

The 1994 vintage - a great year for noble sweet Rieslings

The year 1994 began promisingly: after a lack of water in previous years, flowering and fruit set took place under ideal conditions, and July was significantly warmer than usual at 23 degrees Celsius. Rainfall in September dashed hopes of early ripening, but there was an unexpected blessing for Riesling winegrowers: the rain favoured the early infestation of Botrytis cinerea (noble rot), the decisive factor for the quality of noble sweet wines.

Four weeks of ideal sunshine and autumn fog in October then drove the must weights of the Riesling grapes to heights that had not been reached since the legendary 1976 vintage of the century. Vintage guides such as Decanter confirm that 1994 was an excellent vintage for Beerenauslese wines in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. The few Beerenauslese wines produced that year are among the region's greatest rarities.

Tasting notes & enjoyment forecast (status 2026)

In 2026, this wine looks back on an age of almost 32 years. The following sensory impressions from the renowned Wine Spectator describe the wine:

• Wine Spectator (93 points): The wine shows an amazing concentration of fruit and just the right amount of sweetness to balance the vibrant acidity. In addition, subtle but interesting mushroom notes are mentioned, which can be traced back to the former noble rot and today lend the wine an initial earthy complexity. The result is an exceptionally long and complex finish, which makes this wine one of the longest-lived of its kind.

• Profile: The description of the wine with the attributes "complex, concentrated, balanced, with a long, lively and sweet finish" emphasises its extraordinary harmony. The fruit of the 1994 is no longer primary, but has transformed into a ripe, honey-like bouquet with herbal and mineral notes. The distinctive acidity structure is the supporting framework that makes the wine appear fresh, lively and lively even after more than 30 years.

Market presence and collector's value

Due to its limited production quantity (the wine was bottled exclusively in 375ml half-bottles ), the 1994 Selbach-Oster Beerenauslese is extremely rare and a sought-after collector's item:

• Auction results: The last known auction of a 375ml bottle of this wine on WineBid took place on 19 June 2022 and achieved a price of USD 76.

• Increase in value:If you compare this price with that of a younger 375 ml half-bottle of the Selbach-Oster Beerenauslese from the same winery from 2018, which was offeredfor around 69 to 79 US dollarsin March 2025 , the increase in value becomes clear. A wine aged for 26 years was sold for around the price of a current vintage, although the 1994 has already reached its full potential, while the 2018 still needs many years of development.

• Fill level: When making a purchase, make sure the fill level is perfect (level: 2 cm or better).

Conclusion

The Selbach Oster - Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese 1994is a rare testimony to the high art of noble sweet Mosel Riesling production in the 1990s. It combines the prestigious terroir of one of the great sites of the Middle Moselle with the ideal conditions of an outstanding vintage for top and noble sweet wines.

The coveted Beerenauslese, the first-class 93-point rating and the outstanding stability of value make this wine an excellent investment for collectors and a very special treat for connoisseurs looking for a rare and flavourful piece of wine history.