Summary
Weingut Markus Molitor is one of the most uncompromising and internationally highest-rated addresses of the Mosel. Since Markus Molitor took over the family estate in 1984 at the age of just 20, he has expanded it from around three hectares to today's roughly 100 hectares of steep slopes on the Mosel and Saar. His goal: to revive the traditional greatness of Mosel Rieslings – in every degree of sweetness, from bone-dry to nobly sweet Trockenbeerenauslese, complemented by a serious Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). The estate is known for its own capsule and star system and for no fewer than several 100-point ratings.
History
The estate was founded in the late 19th century. The defining watershed came in 1984, when Markus Molitor (born 1964) took over the family estate in Bernkastel-Wehlen at just 20 years of age. He started with around three hectares and pursued a clear goal from the very beginning: to revive the classic, traditional quality of the Mosel that had made the region world-famous in the 19th century.
In the following decades Molitor continually expanded the estate and secured parcels in many of the best steep slopes of the Middle Mosel and the Saar. Today he farms around 100 hectares – and in doing so has grown from a small family business into one of the most influential producers in Germany.
Location & Terroir
The estate's home, Haus Klosterberg, lies near Bernkastel-Wehlen on the Middle Mosel. From there the vineyards stretch across numerous single sites on the Mosel and Saar. Defining is the Devonian slate: it stores warmth, forces the vines to root deeply, and gives the wines their unmistakable minerality.
Molitor consistently focuses on steep slopes, some with extreme gradients that can only be worked by hand. Old, often ungrafted vines, low yields and late harvesting are the basis for the density and ripeness of his wines. At the same time, the cool climate of the Mosel provides the fine, vibrant acidity that gives the wines their backbone and their enormous ageing potential.
Style & Philosophy
Markus Molitor works markedly traditionally: spontaneous fermentation, long lees ageing, minimal intervention. His wines are designed for longevity and cover the entire spectrum of Mosel Riesling – from the precise, dry Großes Gewächs to the nobly sweet pinnacles, for which he has a special feel in handling noble rot (botrytis). In parallel, Molitor has led the Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) on the Mosel to new prestige: dense, Burgundy-like red wines from slate sites.
The Capsule and Star System
Because Molitor forgoes VDP classification, his own instantly recognisable system organises his wines:
- White capsule: classically (dry) fermented wines
- Grey-green capsule (modelled on the slate): off-dry (feinherb) wines
- Gold capsule: fruity-sweet and nobly sweet Rieslings
- Red capsule: Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)
- Yellow capsule: white wines of the Pinot family such as Weißburgunder and Chardonnay
In addition, stars (up to three) mark increasing density and richness within a Prädikat level – above all with the Auslesen. On the back label, a scale from dry to sweet with the "MM" marker also pinpoints where the wine sits in terms of taste.
Notable Sites & Wines
Molitor makes wines from a wide range of top sites on the Mosel and Saar. Among the best known are:
- Zeltinger Sonnenuhr and Wehlener Sonnenuhr – the core of the estate, Riesling of great finesse
- Graacher Domprobst and Bernkastel sites on the Middle Mosel
- Ürziger Würzgarten with its red volcanic rock
- Saar sites such as Ockfener Bockstein and Saarburger Rausch
The range extends from the dry Großes Gewächs through off-dry (feinherb) Kabinett and Spätlese wines to the legendary star-marked Auslesen and the rare nobly sweet Trockenbeerenauslesen.
Awards
Markus Molitor was named Winemaker of the Year by the magazine Falstaff in 2014. In 2015 he caused an international stir when he received no fewer than several 100-point ratings for Riesling Auslesen in the Wine Advocate (Robert Parker) – a result exceptional for the Mosel up to that point. To this day the estate ranks among the most highly rated producers in Germany and has contributed significantly to renewing the worldwide reputation of Mosel Riesling.