2017 Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Riesling Spätlese
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Tasting notes
Once one knows Hanno Zilliken’s unique approach to numbering his wines, one will recognize that – by no means for the first time – his auction Spätlese originated with higher-Oechsle and generally more concentrated fruit than that which informed the lightest Auslese (this year, the A.P. #5). There is density and blazing brightness here, nearly equal to that of the aforementioned Auslese, but there’s also a slightly more playful and nuanced complexity. Yellow plum, white peach, grapefruit and lime are tinged with mint and smoky black tea on the nose and firm palate, and stony and mouthwateringly saline notes add impressively and appealingly to a vibrantly sustained finish.
Critic scores
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Tamlyn Currin, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Hint of brûlée and mango, tarte Tatin. Rounded and almost voluptuous – if you can call a Zilliken wine voluptuous. It’s like holding a tiny exquisite jewel in your mouth. You barely want to swallow it’s so beautiful. So detailed, so beautifully formed. A sweet whisper. (TC)
RS 80 g/l. Complex aromas – fumy, herbal and a touch of mushroom. Definite mushroom on the nose giving a savoury side to the fruit. Long, crisp finish. (JH)
The 2017 Saarburger Rausch Riesling Spätlese (Auction) is a downgraded Auslese from yellow-golden, partly dried berries. Pure and fresh but intense and concentrated on the nose, with mirabelle and dried fruit but also mineral flavors, this is a lush and piquant, highly delicate and beautifully balanced Riesling with remarkable concentration and freshness. Total production: one fuder. Tasted March 2018.