Selbach Riesling Incline

Johannes Selbach crafted Incline as an entry point into Mosel Riesling that punches well above its price, built from fruit grown on the region's trademark steep-sloped vineyards. The name is a direct nod to those impossibly angled hillsides—some cresting 60 degrees—that define the valley's terroir and force vines to struggle for sunlight and nutrients in thin slate soils. Vinified entirely in stainless steel with just a trace of residual sugar, the wine lands in off-dry territory: bright, mineral-driven, and taut enough to pass for dry in conversation. Selbach Riesling Incline is exactly what it claims to be—a showcase bottling designed to represent Mosel style without requiring a second mortgage. The Selbach family has farmed estate parcels in Zeltingen, Bernkastel, and Graach since 1661, and Johannes represents the latest generation to tend vines clinging to blue Devon slate. The Mosel's northern latitude and the reflective properties of the river itself create one of the slowest ripening zones in Germany, which translates to electric acidity even as sugars accumulate. Selbach ferments with ambient yeast and relies on stainless steel to preserve the grape's vivid aromatics and the unmistakable slate minerality that runs through every wine from this valley. The estate's parcels sit between 200 and 400 meters elevation, where cool nights and long hang time preserve tension. The palate opens with white peach, green apple, and a flicker of lime zest, all wrapped in a saline, flinty thread that tastes like wet stone. The hint of residual sugar—likely in the 10-12 g/L range—softens the high-wire acidity just enough to make the wine versatile at the table. Pair it with anything involving fat and salt: smoked trout, pork schnitzel, Thai green curry, or a simple roast chicken with lemon. The wine's clarity and precision make it an excellent match for oysters or fresh cheeses, and the bright acidity cuts through richer preparations without losing its shape. It drinks well now but will hold in the cellar for three to five years if you're inclined to test its legs. Available for pickup at our Lincoln Park bottle shop at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.