Selbach Oster - Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese 1995

The 1995 Beerenauslese from Selbach-Oster is a real gem from the legendary Zeltinger Sonnenuhr - a wine that was produced at a time when wines of almost mythical sweetness and depth were still being made on the Moselle.

Information on this special wine is scarce and no drinks market stocks it any more. As of this writing (May 2026), it is not available at retail, but occasionally pops up as a rare rarity at auction.

Here is the full report.

⏳ Historical context - The Selbach-Oster winery

The 1995 Beerenauslese dates from a time of change, during which the Selbach-Oster winery further cemented its reputation as one of the best addresses on the Moselle:

• Family history: the Selbach family can look back on over 400 years of winegrowing tradition (since 1600). The current winery was founded in 1963 and is run by Johannes Selbach and his wife Barbara.

• Philosophy & size: In 1995, the 20-hectare estate already focussed on uncompromising quality. With 98% Riesling and a large stock of old, ungrafted vines (some over 55 years old), the foundation was laid for great wines.

• Style: Selbach-Oster was known for classic, long-lived Rieslings with a lot of finesse and a concise but integrated acidity. The Beerenauslese wines from this era are among the region's most legendary sweet wines.

🌍 The vineyard - Zeltinger Sonnenuhr

The Zeltinger Sonnenuhr is one of the most prestigious sites in the Middle Moselle and is classified as a VDP.GROßE LAGE:

• Terroir: Characterised by extremely steep, blue Devonian slate soils. This slate retains heat, provides excellent drainage and gives the wines their unmistakable mineral flavour and remarkable longevity.

• Microclimate: The south-facing steep slopes with gradients of over 60 per cent create an optimal microclimate for the Riesling grapes to ripen slowly.

🍷 The 1995 vintage & the Beerenauslese predicate level

• Vintage character: The 1995vintage was a very good, warm vintage on the Moselle, which produced concentrated and expressive Rieslings. After the somewhat lighter years before, 1995 once again provided the winegrowers with ideal conditions for the production of top-quality and noble sweet wines. The warm days and cool nights favoured the development of noble rot (botrytis), which is essential for a Beerenauslese.

• Prädikat Beerenauslese (BA): Only hand-selected, fully ripe and noble rotten berries are harvested for a BA. This elaborate selection, which is only possible in particularly good years, results in an extremely high sugar concentration and complex flavours. As is usual for this style, the wine was bottledin 0.375 litre half bottles.

👅 Tasting notes & enjoyment forecast (as of May 2026)

With over 30 years of maturity, the 1995 Beerenauslese has fully developed its enormous potential and is in a fantastic drinking window that will last for many years to come:

• Appearance: it presents itself in a deep, bright golden yellow with amber-coloured reflections that underline the wine's long maturity and concentration.

• Nose: The bouquet is complex and intense. Notes of ripe apricots, peach and candied citrus fruit blend with honey, saffron and fine spicy notes. The typical mineral note of the sundial site gives the flavour incredible depth and complexity.

• Palate & finish: This wine is described as dense, concentrated and berry. Despite the distinct sweetness, it is surprisingly fresh, balanced and dancing thanks to a still lively and precise acidity structure. The finish is of enormous length, characterised by ripe fruit, an elegant spiciness and a salty mineral kick that lingers on the palate for a long time.

• General assessment: Similar wines from this period receive top ratings. The renowned wine critic John Haegerawarded 18 out of 20 points for a comparable wine from 1995 , describing it as "creamy, beautifully intense and surprisingly young and fresh". This assessment certainly also applies to this Selbach-Oster.

📈 Market presence & collector's value - a rare rarity

This wine is a coveted collector's item. Originally describedby Wine Spectator in November 1996 as a very ripe, honey and pear-orientated wine, its current value is difficult to quantify. However, there is a historical reference point: the last known bottle was auctioned on the WineBid auction platform on 13 March 2022 for USD 66.

However, it must be assumed that the value has risen significantly in the last four years. For such a rarity, a mid to high three-digit euro amountwould be expectedat an auction today.

🔎 Conclusion

The Selbach-Oster - Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese 1995is a rare and valuable testimony to the great Mosel Riesling art of the 1990s. It combines the renowned terroir of a VDP.GROSSEN LAGE® with the ideal conditions of a very good vintage to create a monumental wine of great rarity and remarkable freshness.

Collectors who manage to get hold of one of these rare bottles have the opportunity to experience a living piece of wine history from one of the best addresses in the Middle Moselle.