One hour after we had finished the plesant visit at the Lochs we had an appointment with Hanno Zilliken in Saarburg. First we had a view of his great cellars, where he showed the barrels. All wines at Zilliken were aged in the barrels, but due to the very high humidity in the cellars he said the aging was more reductive than oxydative. We only tasted a few kabinetts and spätlesen and only one 2001. The visit did fully show what master-blender Zilliken is with the high prädikat-wines. All wines are rieslings from the Saarburger Rausch-site.
Kabinett 2001
Light straw/greenish colour. Very mineral and subdued nose. Slatey. Structured and a nice young kabinett in the mouth.
Kabinett 1993
This had been open for a long time and showed tired. But also fine minerals and slighty petrolly note. Medium bodied. Good balance in the mouth. Weak finish. Not rated.
Spätlese 1993
Straw colour. Slightly greenish. Intence nose. Mineral character. Some mint/cassis. Again very well structured in the mouth and medium bodied. Good length. Liked this quite well.
Auslese 1990, AP# 3-91
Yellow colour, still greenish hints. Complex nose of minerals, still mostly lemony- and appley-notes. Good body. Still very young. Shows some rs, but good balance. Minerals still subdued. Great potensial.
Auslese GK 1983. AP# 19-84
Yellow colour. Mature and complex nose of forest floor, mint, minerals. Good body and concentration. Structured. On top now. A great and mature Rausch, but far less must-weight than the wines to come.
Auslese GK 1990, AP# 2-91
Light golden colour. A much more botrytised nose. Complex with hints of honey and lemon. Powerful in the mouth. More rs, but also great acidic structure. Very good and very young. Lemony finish. This will be outstanding.
Auslese LGK 1989, AP# 9-90
Hanno Zilliken said this was a blend of 50/50 eiswein and botrytised grapes. And what a schizofrenic beauty this is. Golden colour. Very complex nose showing much botrytis, but with an underlay of exotic and lemony fruits. In the mouth this has an extremely thick and fat entry showing high botrytis, before the acid kicks in (11, something g/L.) giving it a smooth lemony and one of the longest finishes I have ever tasted. Really outstanding. But when will it ever be ready. 20-30 years?
Auslese LGK 1998
This is a 100% eiswein. Golden colour. Extremely thick and fruity nose. Exotic. Very young and very thick fruitiness in the mouth. And very good acids give way to a long taste. It is a good wine which needs many years, but it was totally blown away by the former.
Arnt Egil Nordlien
Sep-02