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.
The Rausch vineyard, Grosse Lage, is located on a steep, south-facing slope just behind Saarburg. The soils are a mix of Devonian slate and diabase, with ideal drainage. The fruit is 100% handpicked and after harvest, the grapes ferment and age with 100% neutral Fuder barrels, all in their extremely humid, deeply underground cellar.
Tasting Notes: Aromatically the wine has ripe apples and grapefruit to lemon verbena and wild mint on the smoky slate foundation. The palate plays peek-a-boo from beneath gauzy layers of fruit, herbal elegance, and spice.
Pairing: Greek salad
Points: 95, James Suckling
Format / ABV: 750 ml / 8.0%
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