2017 Riesling Saarburger Rausch Spätlese A. P. #7

Hanno Zilliken reported having lost at most 15% of his buds to frost, yet he ended up with low yields (albeit not nearly so low as those of 2016), partly compensated for by recent vineyard expansion. A contributor to that yield reduction was the selectivity required at harvest, which did not commence here until October 2 and lasted for three weeks. While healthy fruit and strictly noble botrytis were certainly the aims, several of the finished wines proved slightly shrouded by fungal and musty notes. In the Auslese range, the Zilliken 2017 collection reflects an abundance of desiccated berries in a downright severe sense of concentration, especially of acids. Readers concerned by my having found this vintage 2017 collection somewhat problematic will be reassured to learn that Dorothee and Hanno Zilliken rendered a superb set of 2018s from generous yields, resulting in a roster of individual bottlings that is among the largest in their estate’s history. Among wines that will appear to be missing from my tasting notes, I was not offered the generic Riesling trocken or Saarburger Riesling trocken – both of which were sold out by the time I visited. In addition, due to the relative paucity of their vintage 2017 fruit (and perhaps also its nature), the Zillikens elected not to bottle from this vintage a separate “Alte Reben” edition of Saarburger Riesling trocken, a village-level Saarburger Kabinett or a “Diabas.” These limitations resulted in a curious and amusing first-time experience: A vintage tasting that commenced with a Grosses Gewächs! (For more on this justly renowned estate and its methodology, consult the introductions to my coverage of its 2014 and 2015 collections.)

Hanno Zilliken reported having lost at most 15% of his buds to frost, yet he ended up with low yields (albeit not nearly so low as those of 2016), partly compensated for by recent vineyard expansion. A contributor to that yield reduction was the selectivity required at harvest, which did not commence here until October 2 and lasted for three weeks. While healthy fruit and strictly noble botrytis were certainly the aims, several of the finished wines proved slightly shrouded by fungal and musty notes. In the Auslese range, the Zilliken 2017 collection reflects an abundance of desiccated berries in a downright severe sense of concentration, especially of acids. Readers concerned by my having found this vintage 2017 collection somewhat problematic will be reassured to learn that Dorothee and Hanno Zilliken rendered a superb set of 2018s from generous yields, resulting in a roster of individual bottlings that is among the largest in their estate’s history. Among wines that will appear to be missing from my tasting notes, I was not offered the generic Riesling trocken or Saarburger Riesling trocken – both of which were sold out by the time I visited. In addition, due to the relative paucity of their vintage 2017 fruit (and perhaps also its nature), the Zillikens elected not to bottle from this vintage a separate “Alte Reben” edition of Saarburger Riesling trocken, a village-level Saarburger Kabinett or a “Diabas.” These limitations resulted in a curious and amusing first-time experience: A vintage tasting that commenced with a Grosses Gewächs! (For more on this justly renowned estate and its methodology, consult the introductions to my coverage of its 2014 and 2015 collections.)