2016 Saarburger Rausch Riesling Diabas Q.b.A. Geltz Zilliken, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer (0,75l)

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 2016 Saarburger Rausch Riesling Diabas Q.b.A., Geltz Zilliken

The off-dry 2016 Saarburg Rausch Riesling "Diabas" has a beautifully fine, ripe and aromatic Riesling bouquet that is perfectly intertwined with crushed gray slate aromas. Sourced from entirely healthy grapes, this is a round, dense, very mineral and tightly woven Riesling that was bottled with roughly 16 grams of residual sugar. The finish reveals some fine tannins and a clear, long and firm structure. Great finesse and length. One of the finest Diabas I have tasted at this domaine. Tasted March 2018. - Stephan Reinhardt, Apr. 2018

Mosel Fine Wines - 2016 Saarburger Rausch Riesling Diabas Q.b.A., Geltz Zilliken

This immediately captures one’s attention through superb scents of pear, yellow peach, mint, whipped cream, spices and pineapple. The wine proves intense and also saturating in aromatics with beautiful depth and a mineral core full of energy and intensity on the palate. As if by miracle, the wine then opens up in the beautifully long, minty and spicy finish. There is a sense of ethereal lightness in the after-taste which is only tightened up by mouth-watering tartness. This off-dry Riesling is a great success and will be a great food companion over many years to come. 2018-2031 - Juni 2017

Vinous - 2016 Saarburger Rausch Riesling Diabas Q.b.A., Geltz Zilliken

Scents of white peach and papaya project a riper impression than on the nose of the corresponding Grosses Gewächs, though that might be a function not just of the state of the fruit from which it was vinified but also of residual sugar, small differences in which can have a pervasive influence. But lest talk of sugar’s efficacy be misunderstood, let me hasten to note that the actual sense of sweetness here is extremely discreet. Fresh lime injects bright, animating juiciness into the silken-textured palate, serving as a delightful foil to the riper fruit elements. Like the corresponding village-level feinherb, this Diabas displays lovely floral notes – another feature that might owe something to the presence of residual sugar. The long finish incorporates a mouthwatering lick of salinity, although, for now at least, not quite the complex and savory mineral allure possessed by this year’s Grosses Gewächs. (For background on the Zilliken Diabas bottling, consult my review of its 2015 instantiation.) - David Schildknecht, März 2018