Winery Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken

The viticulture of the Zilliken family can be traced back to 1742. Today, Dorothee Zilliken runs the business. The team includes father and cellar master Hanno, husband Philipp and mother Ruth. In Saarburg, the company remains committed to the tradition of producing dry - but above all residual and noble sweet - Rieslings of the highest quality and with enormous ageing potential. Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken has a top reputation among sommeliers and connoisseurs all over the world.

Naturally, only his own grapes are processed here. It grows on 13 hectares of vines in the south-facing, steep, VDP Saarburger Rausch and Ockfener Bockstein vineyards, which are characterised by Devonian slate. The vines are rooted up to 10 metres deep in the rock, producing fruit with a strong minerality.

The must ferments slowly in neutral oak barrels in the cellar, which is kept at a constant 11 degrees centigrade. „The potential that the wine brings from the vineyard must be carefully preserved. Wine is created in the vineyard. Nothing can be added in the cellar.“ Further ageing also takes place - typical of Geltz Zilliken - in used, flavour-neutral wood. The Rieslings are kept in the same cellar for bottle ageing.

© Images: Winery Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken