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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. Zilliken's wines from this famed vineyard are always exemplary offerings that stand at the pinnacle of the quality pyramid, so collectors and enthusiasts shouldn't miss these two cellar contenders that will shine for decades.
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The 2023 Riesling Saarburger Rausch Spätlese opens with myrrh-scented rose, vivid peach and a touch of blood orange. The palate offers clear jelly of peach, an essence of the fruit, gently sweet and serene. That peach deepens and combines with salty rock. The body is incredibly fine; everything is elegant, beautifully clear, luminous, intense and yet so light.
96 points, Anne Krebiehl, Vinous (Dec 2024)
What striking aromas of tropical fruit and flowers this classic Saar riesling Spatlese has. Very refined and elegant with a stunning purity. The power is deftly underplayed on the medium-bodied palate, so that the intensity at the very focused and filigreed finish comes as quite a surprise. Excellent aging potential. Drink or hold.
96 points, Stuart Pigott, James Suckling (Oct 2024)
The 2023 Rausch Spätlese is super precise and clear on the elegant and slightly vegetal nose that shows discreet tropical fruit aromas of mango and baby pineapples. The wine is juicy yet refined and very elegant on the palate, moderately sweet, nicely saline and provided with very fine, elegant, salivating acidity. This will be an excellent gastronomic wine in 10 and still in 25 years. There are tart citrus fruit notes on the aftertaste. 7.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in August 2024.
94 points, Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate (Oct 2024)
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