J & H Selbach Mosel Riesling “Incline” 2023

J & H Selbach Mosel Riesling "Incline" 2023 This exceptional wine is crafted from 100% Riesling, sourced from the impossibly steep, nearly vertical blue and red Devonian slate slopes of the Mosel region that give the "Incline" cuvée its name. The 2023 vintage was characterized by a roller-coaster growing season with a wet August and a warm, dry September, yielding grapes of spellbinding harmony, ripe fruit character, and lacy, vibrant acidity. In the glass, the wine displays a brilliant, pale straw-yellow color with exceptional clarity and a light, watery viscosity indicative of its crisp style. The nose opens with highly aromatic primary fruit notes of crisp green apple, white peach, and lime zest, layered with secondary nuances of white spring flowers and a striking, crushed-slate minerality, while remaining free of tertiary aging characteristics in its vibrant youth. On the palate, this light-bodied, off-dry wine delivers a brilliant tension between a slight touch of residual sugar and razor-sharp, electrifying acidity, carrying juicy stone fruit flavors on a sleek texture with zero tannin toward a stubbornly long, salty finish. Johannes Selbach employs organic farming practices and meticulous hand-harvesting on these treacherous slopes, later fermenting the juice entirely in stainless steel tanks using natural, wild yeasts at cool temperatures to preserve crystalline purity. This off-dry Riesling pairs beautifully with a hot honey fried chicken sandwich, where the wine's vibrant acidity and subtle sweetness perfectly cut through the rich fat and balance the fiery spice, or with spicy shrimp tacos with mango salsa, as the stone fruit notes complement the tropical garnish. While this specific 2023 "Incline" bottling has not yet received major numerical scores from critics like Wine Advocate or Wine Spectator, it is widely celebrated by industry professionals as an incredibly affordable, benchmark introduction to Mosel Riesling that vastly outshines its modest price point.