Weingut Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken | Saar
Weingut Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken (often simply called 'Zilliken') is one of the leading wine estates of the Saar region in Germany. Renowned for the steely precision of their Rieslings grown in the very cool climate and slate soils of the area, the Zilliken estate built its reputation with intense, yet delicate and nearly weightless Rieslings that “float like a butterfly".
The Zilliken family traces its winegrowing tradition back to 1742. The early generations toiled diligently in their vineyards, but it was the Royal Prussian Forest Superintendent (Forstmeister) Ferdinand Geltz (1851–1925) who laid the groundwork for what would become one of the most highly regarded family-owned estates anywhere in the Saar and Mosel area. In 1908, Ferdinand Geltz was a co-founder of the "Vereins der Naturwein versteigerer Großer Ring," the elite winegrowers association known today as the VDP-Mosel. It promoted the sale of premium-quality, unchaptalized wines as a way to raise the profile, both domestically and internationally, of the outstanding Rieslings being produced in this winegrowing region.
On Christmas Day 1944, the estate's house and cellar were completely destroyed in a bombing raid. It was the determination of then-owner Marianne Geltz that preserved the winegrowing tradition within the family. In 1947 Marianne married Fritz Zilliken, and from that point on the estate has labelled itself Forstmeister Geltz-Zilliken. In 1950, they acquired the deep cellar in Saarburg that became the estate's permanent home.
The estate is currently managed by Dorothee Zilliken, who has been working with her father, Hans-Joachim “Hanno” Zilliken, since 2007. She took on full responsibility in 2016, with the ongoing guidance of Hanno, and the indispensable help of her mother, Ruth, and husband, Philipp.
The remarkable Geltz Zilliken cellar is the deepest in the Saar Valley, extending three stories beneath the earth. Yet beyond the impressive dimensions, it also radiates an atmosphere of myth and majesty. The effect is so pronounced that its dimly lit halls have even served as the backdrop for detective films. And, as if by design, the natural conditions of 100% humidity and a constant, cool temperature (around 11°C) lend themselves to slow fermentation in neutral oak barrels. The natural gravity of the deep cellar is harnessed to fill the traditional 1,000-liter, neutral oak Fuder casks, where the wines are vinified from start to finish.
"Our goal is to produce Rieslings with the highest level of finesse and lightness,” says Dorothee. The result of the family’s dedication is graceful wines of crystalline purity that express the rocky soils and cool climate with concentration, intensity, and length.
