WTN: 2006 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Spatlese

2006 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Spatlese Mosel Saar Ruwer 7.5%
Pretty aromas of tangerine and orange citrus with white flour cake and confectionary sugar. Good mouth feel, but more sweet than acid. The sweetness tasted a bit candied and it was a poor match with cheese. Maybe we caught this at an awkward moment or maybe it's not capable of carrying a meal or being the only wine of a night, but in the end I was finding it more akin to sophisticated sugar water. Needed a lot more acid to give it zip and raciness and oomph.

Lack of zip and acidity does not sound like Zilliken. I paid a visit there when 2005 was the new vintage and thought it a superb range. Maybe the problem lies in the 2006 vintage which tended towards fatness. Though the 05s were richer than a typically MSR vintage, there was certainly no flabbiness. Perhaps I should take a look at one of the bottles I brought home though they could be in a closed phase right now.

[David M. Bueker]

2006 is not going to be a food friendly vintage for a while. The shockingly high ripeness levels (one grower I know - not Zilliken - bottled kabinett that qualified as beerenauslese!) and frequent botrytis mean that the high (compared to other recent years) acids do not show at all.

Put this wine in the cellar and forget about it for 10+ years. It's a bit of a crap shoot, but that's 2006.

2006 is not going to be a food friendly vintage for a while. The shockingly high ripeness levels (one grower I know - not Zilliken - bottled kabinett that qualified as beerenauslese!) and frequent botrytis mean that the high (compared to other recent years) acids do not show at all.

Put this wine in the cellar and forget about it for 10+ years. It's a bit of a crap shoot, but that's 2006.

Alas, it was my only one. I also have one 2006 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Kabinett: should I wait there too? Perhaps less time?

Tim, I also have a single 2005 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Spatlese, glad to hear you liked the 2005s. David, how long would you wait for the 05 Zilliken Spatlese?

[David M. Bueker]

Oswaldo - if you want truly mature notes in your 2005 Riesling Spatlese then wait 10-15 years. You could certainly drink it now though, but it will be rather sweet.