MCF Rare Wine Ltd.
 
2015 German Riesling, Round 2: Zilliken and Schloss Lieser

I said the other day that you should expect a lot of important newsletters in the coming weeks, so here we go!

So I'm sure you all still have my rant about 2015 Germany and its awesomeness fresh in your mind, so I won't go too nuts about it again.

The first offer was for one of the most famous and esteemed producers in the Mosel.  Today's offer is for two more greats from the area.

Zilliken is also a classic, ancient name in the region, and doesn't need all that much introduction.

The other, Schloss Lieser, is a producer whose excellent wines and growing holdings of top vineyards has it steadily rising up the list of the top estates.  I wouldn't quite call it 'up-and-coming', because the reputation for quality is already quite established, but I bet that there are many of you who don't have Schloss-Lieser on your radar, and that needs to change...starting with these 2015s.

Zilliken's wonderfully ripe and expressive wines from the Saar are some of the most popular Rieslings on the market.  The bright, textured and dense style is one that ages fantastically and is also perfectly suited to a vinatage like '15, where that texture will be accentuated by the ripeness and also balanced by the electric acidity.

While they do produce a line of fantastic dry wines, what we have today are three of their pradikat bottlings.  The Saarburger Kabinett, Rausch Kabinett and Saarburger Rausch Spatlese.  These are incredibly delicious wines that will age beautifully at very fair prices.  I've always had a soft spot for Zilliken, especially mature bottles, so I'm really excited for these!

As I said before, Schloss Lieser is truly a producer to keep your eye on and the three wines below are were some of the most exciting that I tasted for 2015, especially at this price!  The utterly captivating elegance that great Mosel Riesling is known for is on full display in all of them. 

I could have gone the easy route and copy and pasted John Gilman's gushing notes on both estates and called it a day, but to say he agrees that these are two of the most profound lineups in the vintage would be a bashful way to put it.

SCHLOSS LIESER

Riesling Kabinett Estate 2015 -- from the Lieser Schlossberg, Graacher Himmelreich and Niederberg Helden (in other words, three of the great sites in Germany), this one is ripe, structured and impeccably balanced.  For <$25, you're getting a great glass of Riesling that will age gracefully for the next decade.

Riesling Kabinett Brauneberger Juffer 2015 -- a blue-slate classic that, right now, is brighter and more complex than the Estate.  What really stands out in the Juffer, though, is the sublime elegance and clarity.  Destination ethereal.

Riseling Spatlese Lieser Niederberg Helden 2015 -- from one of the most fantastically steep vineyards on earth, this Spat, as one would expect, shows more intensity of fruit and texture which is matched brilliantly by a cool, bracing finish.  This was easily in my top ten for the vintage and is one I'll be keeping an eye on over the next couple decades!  Lovely stuff.


ZILLIKEN

Riesling Kabinett Saarburger 2015 -- another fantastic value, the Saarburger is soft
but dense with a level of aromatic clarity that is quite captivating.  Bright, floral and textured, with a fine acidity on the finish.  So good now, it'll be hard to keep your hands off.

Riesling Kabinett Rausch 2015 -- it's hard to picture based on the above, but the nose here has an extra level of color and breadth.  On the palate, the texture is more pronounced and the back-end structure is deceptively firm.  

Riseling Spatlese Saarburger Rausch 2015 -- the pinnacle of ripeness and intensity of these three wines is the Spatlese SR, and the level of early complexity on display is truly awesome.  Having recently had a stunning bottle of this from the '80s, I can only imagine what lies ahead for this beauty.  Heavy duty Zilliken collectors will be clamoring for this one!

These wines have landed in the US and will be available for shipping/collection in the next week.

Matt Franco

MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
237 West 13th Street
New York 10011
mcf@mcf-rarewine.com
212.255.8870
www.mcf-rarewine.com