2011 Saarburger Rausch Riesling Auslese Geltz Zilliken, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer (0,75l)

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 2011 Saarburger Rausch Riesling Auslese, Geltz Zilliken

As explained in my introduction to coverage of this estate, the Zilliken 2011 Saarburger Rausch Riesling Auslese A.P. #1 is a product of selection for golden shriveled-but-healthy berries. Mango, Persian melon, and pink grapefruit are aptly supported by high sugar; but at the same time, aggressive tartness of fresh lemon and apple make for a somewhat bifurcated as well as raucously high acid impression. Black tea smokiness and lemon rind pungency lend prickle to nose and palate. The levity; intense penetration; and saliva-inducing salinity that characterized this year-s auction Spatlese are here present in spades - unsurprisingly, when one considers that the two wines were picked contemporaneously and under identical principles of selection. And Zilliken suggests that some of the restlessness and angularity I experience here vis-a-vis that Spatlese could be a result of this Auslese representing an assemblage of three casks that might take a year or more to fully marry. It should still perform well in 2040 - but its acidity should have toned-down a bit by then, and (were I expecting to live that long!), I wouldn-t be surprised to witness enhanced complexity. - David Schildknecht, Okt. 2013