Overview: The Zilliken family's ties to wine making in Germany can be traced back to 1742, but their legacy truly began to take root with the work of Ferdinand Geltz. Geltz was a Royal Prussian Forest Superintendent and in 1908 he helped co-found Vereins der Naturwein versteigerer Großer Ring, known today as the VDP-Mosel. This extremely elite wine growers association was founded in hopes to promote the sale of premium-quality, un-chaptalized wines for a profit, to help Germany gain recognition domestically as well as internationally for their outstanding Rieslings. In 1944 during the second World War the Geltz family's estate and cellar were destroyed, but the family persevered with then-owner Marianne Geltz as a dedicated leader. In 1947 Getlz married Fritz Zilliken and the estate from then on was named Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken. By 1950 the estate purchased a large, deep cellar in the heart of Saarburg and the location has been the familys home base since.
This Riesling is composed of grapes grown upon Devonian slate and diabase within Saarburg. The grapes are entirely hand picked, and due to the cooler climate within the region, the grapes are brighter and less ripe as a whole, therefore those utilized in this bottling were left on the vine longer than the Estate and the 'Butterfly' to reach Kabinett level ripeness. The grapes ferment and age with 100% neutral Fuder barrels, all in their extremely humid, deeply underground cellar.
Tasting Notes: Aromatically this wine is nuanced with notes of tangerines, green apples, and honeysuckle. On the palate the wine is a touch sweet, with balancing, bracing acidity and an ethereal, delicately impressive finish of candied lemon rind.
Pairing: Greek salad
Points: 92, James Suckling
Format / ABV: 750 ml / 8.0%
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