Zilliken 'Alte Reben' Riesling Trocken, Saarburg, Mosel, Germany 2022
Weingut Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken is one of the Saar's most celebrated estates, with a winemaking tradition traceable to 1742. The estate takes its full name from Ferdinand Geltz, the Royal Prussian Forest Superintendent who formalized the property in the 19th century and co-founded the VDP in 1908. For decades, Hanno Zilliken — jointly named Gault Millau Winemaker of the Year in 2017 — defined the estate's reputation for crystalline, weightless Saar Riesling. His daughter Dorothee, the eleventh generation of her family on the property, has worked alongside him since 2007 and officially took over as winemaker in 2016. The estate farms 13 hectares planted exclusively to Riesling, centered on the grand cru Saarburger Rausch vineyard.
- WINEMAKER: Dorothee Zilliken
- FARMING: Sustainably grown. Pesticide and herbicide free.
- VARIETY: 100% Riesling
- TERROIR: Saarburg, Saar, Mosel. Steep slopes of the Saarburger Rausch, a VDP Große Lage site with Devonian slate and volcanic diabase soils; roots penetrate up to 10 meters depth. The cool Saar climate produces wines of high acidity, low alcohol, and pronounced slate minerality. Vines 60–130 years old. The 2022 vintage brought a warm, dry summer that tested the resilience of old vines; September rains provided relief before cool nights at harvest preserved freshness and acidity.
- VINIFICATION: Wild yeast fermentation in old neutral Fuder casks (1,000L) in a natural cave cellar maintained at 11°C with near-100% humidity, enabling long, slow fermentation without refrigeration. 12% ABV. Residual sugar: 7.0 g/L; total acidity: 7.4 g/L.
- AGING: Matured in old neutral Fuder casks in the estate's deep cave cellar.
- TASTING NOTES: Salty and floral on the nose with white lilac and white tea. The palate is herbaceous, precise, and linear, with lime, white pepper, and a stony mineral finish.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Oysters, raw shellfish, river fish, white asparagus, fresh goat cheese, sushi and sashimi, light poultry dishes, herb-crusted fish.
- SCORES: James Suckling 94, Wine Enthusiast 92
Zilliken 'Alte Reben' Riesling Trocken, Saarburg, Mosel, Germany 2022
Weingut Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken is one of the Saar's most celebrated estates, with a winemaking tradition traceable to 1742. The estate takes its full name from Ferdinand Geltz, the Royal Prussian Forest Superintendent who formalized the property in the 19th century and co-founded the VDP in 1908. For decades, Hanno Zilliken — jointly named Gault Millau Winemaker of the Year in 2017 — defined the estate's reputation for crystalline, weightless Saar Riesling. His daughter Dorothee, the eleventh generation of her family on the property, has worked alongside him since 2007 and officially took over as winemaker in 2016. The estate farms 13 hectares planted exclusively to Riesling, centered on the grand cru Saarburger Rausch vineyard.
- WINEMAKER: Dorothee Zilliken
- FARMING: Sustainably grown. Pesticide and herbicide free.
- VARIETY: 100% Riesling
- TERROIR: Saarburg, Saar, Mosel. Steep slopes of the Saarburger Rausch, a VDP Große Lage site with Devonian slate and volcanic diabase soils; roots penetrate up to 10 meters depth. The cool Saar climate produces wines of high acidity, low alcohol, and pronounced slate minerality. Vines 60–130 years old. The 2022 vintage brought a warm, dry summer that tested the resilience of old vines; September rains provided relief before cool nights at harvest preserved freshness and acidity.
- VINIFICATION: Wild yeast fermentation in old neutral Fuder casks (1,000L) in a natural cave cellar maintained at 11°C with near-100% humidity, enabling long, slow fermentation without refrigeration. 12% ABV. Residual sugar: 7.0 g/L; total acidity: 7.4 g/L.
- AGING: Matured in old neutral Fuder casks in the estate's deep cave cellar.
- TASTING NOTES: Salty and floral on the nose with white lilac and white tea. The palate is herbaceous, precise, and linear, with lime, white pepper, and a stony mineral finish.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Oysters, raw shellfish, river fish, white asparagus, fresh goat cheese, sushi and sashimi, light poultry dishes, herb-crusted fish.
- SCORES: James Suckling 94, Wine Enthusiast 92