You’ve got to love the German’s precision as they have managed to turn the phrase ‘library release’ into a single, if somewhat intimidating word. Just for the record, this distinctive bottling came from Zilliken’s cold cellars and is in pristine condition.
We have had the occasion to present some stunning value examples of how German Rieslings age. As we said repeatedly, such opportunities do not present themselves on a regular basis. There are even fewer examples of top-tier bottlings like this one that make their way into the marketplace, usually being absorbed by the auction circuit in Deutschland. Perhaps the last significant opportunity was several years ago was when we got a bunch of Bert Simon’s older Auslese. That was serious fun.
Herein we are talking about one of the stars of the Saar, Hanno Zilliken, arguably the producer that, over the years, has showed us some of the most exciting older examples of premium Riesling we have ever sold. His 1983s and 1994s are legends for us, as well as things we had the opportunity to revisit on more than one occasion over the years. They never failed to impress.
We feel the same about Zilliken’s Saarburger Rausch Riesling Spatlese #8 2003. At age 15 it is still going strong and showing surprising freshness to the classic red current, apricot, quince and spice fruit, the slatey nature of the Saar is very subtly integrated into the mix. While still proudly showing its auslese character, the bottle time has caused everything to settle into a nice groove where both the sweetness and the acidity are dialed back. The wine shows plenty of complexity but also harmony with no aspect sticking out.
It has been a lot of fun showcasing aged Riesling over the last few years, but this one is on a whole different level from a top producer working a great vineyard in an outstanding vintage that, because of its unique weather profile, few thought would ‘go the distance’. That certainly is not the case here. Very few wines have this kind of purity and clarity of flavors at all, let alone at age fifteen.