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B-21 Top Recommendation
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"Dorothee Zilliken once again managed to portray the ethereal, almost weightless and veil-like style of Saar Riesling for which the house is famed." - Anne Krebhiel, Vinous
The Middle Mosel gets the lion's share of attention in the region, but German Riesling insiders know that some of the finest expressions for the money can be found along the Saar tributary, a narrow river valley meeting the Upper Mosel from the south. The steep cliffs and high winds are perilous viticultural challenges, and the small Saar river doesn't provide any of the meso-climatic advantages found on the Mosel itself. But the south-facing vineyards enjoy the ideal exposition and slope to ripen grapes, and the results are some of the most crystalline, elegant Rieslings in the world.
The 2023 vintage played perfectly to the Saar's advantage, with the valley avoiding much of the harvest rains that fell on the rest of the Mosel. Rausch's south-southwest facing parcels of broken Greywacke and Devonian slate are the perfect foundations for Zilliken's style. The JS95 Kabinett is "intense and complex, gorgeously saline and filigreed" according to Wine Advocate, while the double 96-point Spätlese is "elegant, beautifully clear, luminous, intense and yet so light," perfectly encapsulating what makes the finest Saar expressions stand out from the their contemporaries. Finally, we come to the fabulous 2023 GGs, starting with the Rausch, "a rich and complex yet always pure, saline and mineral Rausch that bears great complexity and mineral tension" according to Advocate. Keen-eyed collectors won't overlook the "fabulous" WA95 Ockfen Bockstein GG, "a full-bodied, complex, very long, saline and stimulating Riesling of exceptional quality," as described by Advocate's Stephan Reinhardt.
Zilliken's wines are always exemplary offerings that stand at the very best of the Mosel/Saar, and collectors and enthusiasts won't want to miss these cellar contenders that will shine for decades.
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Bottled in early July, the 2023 Bockstein GG is clear and refined on the dense and elegant nose that shows a remarkably fine yet intense aroma of ripe seed and stone fruit intertwined with herbal nuances. Round and almost smooth on the palate, with remarkably fine acidity and high textural qualities, this is a full-bodied, complex, very long, saline and stimulating Riesling of exceptional quality. The wine has a quiet flow with melting minerals. It's fabulous. 12% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in August 2024.
95 points, Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate (Oct 2024)
The 2023 Riesling Ockfener Bockstein Grosses Gewächs comes from the central part of the Bockstein, with vines at least 60 years old. This fruit stayed miraculously healthy and was harvested in October. Smooth white peach mingles with a notion of dried peach on a wonderfully aromatic nose. The palate offers a tender creaminess with a stony concentration backed by slate, buffered by a fine creamy texture brimming with lemon. It unites steeliness and tenderness in a most unusual fashion. Bone dry, long, filigree, creamy and stony.
95 points, Anne Krebiehl, Vinous (Dec 2024)
This combines an unusual floral charm with the steeliness of Saar riesling. Notes of energy and restrained power on the barely medium-bodied palate. Lemon balm and Amalfi lemon zest in the very long, focused finish. Needs some time, but it’s already clear this is a special expression of this great site. Best after 2025.
95 points, Stuart Pigott, James Suckling (Aug 2024)
Tangerine, pineapple and a whole basket of tropical fruits. Then, little by little, some breezy mineral tones emerge. On the palate, the wine has a soft, delicate structure, the acidity is seamlessly fused with the body and the finish is clearly mineral in character.
94 points, Ulrich Sautter, Falstaff (Nov 2024)
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