Rausch Riesling Auslese 2016 from Weingut Zilliken
The Zilliken Rausch Riesling Auslese 2016 is a lusciously sweet, elegant Riesling from the VDP.GROSSE LAGE vineyard, Saarburger Rausch. The grapes grow on a unique soil formation characterized by Devonian slate and diabase. After 100% manual harvesting, the wine was aged in neutral fuder barrels. Careful selection and multiple passes through the vineyard have been rewarded with a true gem of a Riesling. This very dense, extract-rich Saar Riesling from Weingut Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken, made from shrivelled, hand-selected berries, impresses with exotic fruit aromas such as mango and pineapple, notes of dried fruits such as figs and grapes, accompanied by rose and chamomile. A Riesling Auslese that, despite 82g residual sugar, possesses a lively acid structure and leaves an almost refreshing impression on the palate. The Zilliken Rausch Riesling Auslese 2016 is a wine of purest beauty and balance, with a very long and brilliant future ahead.
Rausch Auslese 2016 – a wine and its characteristics
- 7.5% Alcohol
- 82g/l Residual Sugar
- 9.5g/l Acidity
Zilliken Riesling – awarded
- 96-97 Points Robert Parker
- 95 Points James Suckling
- 94 Points Mosel Fine Wines
- 94 Points John Gilman
The long finish reveals the concentration of the Riesling Auslese. On the tongue, it feels weightless. With a moderate alcohol content of 7.5%, it is an ideal accompaniment to game or foie gras terrines; when aged, it pairs well with spicy Asian dishes or sweet desserts without too much acidity. And, of course, with aged cheeses from cow, goat, or sheep. Even though it is delightful when young, it truly shows its full potential only after 10-20 years of bottle aging. Try it out; we also have aged Riesling Auslesen from Weingut Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken in stock. Or you can practice patience, as the future of the Zilliken Auslese looks rosy.
Incidentally, our warehouse is cooled in summer and heated in winter by a geothermal heat pump powered by a photovoltaic system, allowing the wine to mature optimally.
The 2016 Vintage in the Saar Valley
The 2016 vintage was a year with extremely wet flowering weather, resulting in a low fruit set. Thus, a small harvest in terms of quantity was evident early on. Vegetation also lagged behind previous years until August, but then caught up thanks to a fantastic September. The few grapes were ripe and of very good quality and could be harvested in ideal weather conditions.