The Zilliken 2006 Saarburger Rausch Riesling Kabinett offers crisp, juicy apple fruit, with hints of mango and grapefruit. Smoky and wet stone notes, combined with a palpable extract-rich palate lend this a serious, even slightly austere palate presence today. But the finish pours forth fresh fruit and salts along with crushed stone, leaving long and invigorating traces. Here is a concentrated Kabinett to put away for 5-7 years, and then enjoy for that long again. Its gross analysis, by the way, is virtually identical with that of the Bockstein Kabinett. “You’ll see” – or rather, taste – says Hanno Zilliken, “we had very little botrytis here. But, the bunches were really tiny. I had no problem with ruptured grapes, or with getting wines straight as an arrow.” He harvested rapidly, beginning the 9th of October. “I have to be honest, though,” he continues, “We turned away from risking too much. We were shocked – or at least frightened – by the news we were hearing from other German regions about rotting and acetic grapes. The weather was crappy: I mean, humid and overcast, with a troubling forecast. With a few warm days we selected. But the material was no longer stable. I had the feeling the fruit was exhausted.” So in the end we have wonderful wines this year, but nothing approaching the vast array of elixirs one associates with this address in other top vintages. Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; (800) 596-9463