Bernkasteler Graben Riesling Auslese 2*
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed from 10 to 40 years after the vintage release, as its intense sweetness and vibrant acidity harmonize into a complex, savory masterpiece.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Classic blue cheeses such as Roquefort, rich duck liver pâté or foie gras, and moderately spiced Thai or Sichuan dishes.
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Markus Molitor, often referred to as the 'Riesling Wizard,' has spent decades defining the pinnacle of Mosel winemaking. The Bernkasteler Graben vineyard sits on a steep, south-southwest-facing slope immediately adjacent to the world-famous Bernkasteler Doctor. Here, the weathered blue Devonian slate soils absorb the daytime sun, radiating warmth back to the vines through the cool Mosel nights. This Auslese 2* (Two Stars) represents an extraordinary selection of highly ripe, partially botrytized Riesling grapes, meticulously harvested by hand in multiple passes. Fermented naturally with indigenous yeasts in traditional, large oak Fuder casks, the wine beautifully balances intense, concentrated stone fruit flavors with a vibrant, electric slate minerality and a legendary, laser-like acidity that is the hallmark of Molitor's uncompromising style.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Taking over his family's estate in 1984 at just twenty years old, Markus Molitor set out to restore the Mosel region's historic prestige through uncompromising quality and traditional craftsmanship. Based at the historic Haus Klosterberg in Bernkastel-Kues, the winery meticulously farms steep, slate-rich vineyards across the Mosel and Saar, utilizing extremely late hand-harvesting and spontaneous fermentation in neutral oak Fuder casks. Molitor is globally renowned for his precise, mineral-driven Rieslings—distinguished by white, green, and gold capsules indicating dryness levels—as well as his structured, elegant Spätburgunder. This obsessive dedication to terroir has earned the estate numerous perfect 100-point scores, cementing its status as an icon of German winemaking.