Markus Molitor: May 7, 2023

There may be no more ambitious winemaker in the world than Markus Molitor. His determination and drive to make the best possible wines has made him a towering figure in the Mosel, with an impressive, modern winery and holdings in almost every important vineyard in the region. This drive also means there are a lot of different bottlings—Molitor believes that every single sub-parcel and selective pick should be vinified to its utmost potential. The critical praise backs this up— Markus Molitor’s wines are some of the most celebrated in the world.
 
Most winemakers would pick a vineyard once or twice and vinify the lots together—it’s easier and the wines are good. Molitor, though, asks what each parcel and pick would be like on its own—treated as if it were a wine of distinction rather than a blending component. This is a lot of extra work and requires time and space that most winemakers would rather not spend, but the result is a dizzying number of bottlings that all strive toward perfection.
 
If you’re not familiar with Molitor, there’s a bit of education to go through before pulling your first cork. Molitor distinguishes the style of his wines by capsule color, pradikat level of ripeness, and quality designation.  We’ll explain all of these below!

Capsule Color:
White capsule wines are made in a dry tasting style, with imperceptible residual sugar and lean mineral intensity. Green capsules reflect what Germans refer to as a ‘feinherb’ or just slightly off-dry style, usually with 15-20g or more of residual sugar per liter. This is probably the most classical of all Mosel wine styles, where the sugar and acid interplay is so delicate and balanced that the overall taste is dizzyingly complex.  Lastly, gold capsules indicate a truly off-dry and fruity style of Riesling with lush concentration and a fruit spectrum that spans all the way from orchard to tropical. All three of these styles can age beautifully for many years.
 
Pradikat Level:
True to German standards formalized in the early seventies, Molitor uses the Pradikat system to reflect the overall ripeness and weight of his wines. The goal also being to ensure consumers that no artificial sugar (or chaptalization) has been added during fermentation and the wines are 100% authentic to the vintage that nature has provided. Kabinett wines will be lighter bodied juice with filigree and coolness from the Mosel slate; Spatlese will have additional intensity and stone-fruit notes on the nose; and lastly Auslese will indicate impressively complex wines of higher ripeness that can often be savored completely on their own. 
 
Quality Designation:
This is extremely straightforward. With Molitor, more asterisks on the bottle = higher quality designation (up to a maximum of ***). All levels are sure to give immense pleasure and reward the connoisseur that seeks to understand them entirely.
 
We have a dazzling selection of Markus Molitor’s wines in stock, and are eager to share them with you. Pick your favorite style and discover for yourself why we insist on carrying so many of these brilliant wines! – Mark