The 2007 Saarburger Rausch Riesling Auslese A.P. #6 reflects the beginnings of shriveling of berries in the clusters in its honey, musk melon, brown spices, and tropical fruit allusions, yet is also formidably dense as well as stony, saline, and alkaline in its mineral expression. A lusciously juicy and spicy impression of pink grapefruit runs through this, contributing greatly to the wine’s impressive length and sheer lip-smacking appeal. I feel confident that this will benefit from 8-10 years in bottle and hold well for more than two decades. It might seem hard to believe that Hanno Zilliken could once again out-performed a vintage in the way that he did 2005 and 2006. But his having designated an unprecedented four different wines of the 2007 vintage as auction offerings certainly speaks to his confidence – well-founded, I would say – in the quality of this collection’s top end. The vintage’s “Riesling Butterfly” – stemming largely from Saarburg’s Antoniousbrunnen and Bergschlosschen vineyards (behind the Rausch, and overlooking a tiny Saar tributary) and in only small measure from the Rausch and Bockstein – was reviewed in issue 184 and remains lovely, if at present less generous than there-described. No off-dry generic estate Riesling was bottled this vintage, and with 2008 Zilliken will be seen to have made other changes in the lower half of his price list.Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA 800 596 9463