Brauneberger Mandelgraben Pinot Noir 1*
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, and herb-crusted rack of lamb.
✨ Technical Specifications
Markus Molitor is a titan of the Mosel, renowned not only for his monumental Rieslings but also for spearheading the modern renaissance of Mosel Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder). The Brauneberger Mandelgraben vineyard, whose name translates to 'almond ditch'—a nod to the exceptionally mild microclimate where almond trees historically blossomed alongside the vines—features steep slopes rich in weathered Devonian slate. This unique terroir imparts a distinct mineral tension and cool-climate elegance to the Pinot Noir. Molitor's '1*' (one star) designation signifies a wine of exceptional finesse and precision. Hand-harvested, fermented with ambient yeasts, and aged in French oak barriques, this red wine offers a seductive bouquet of dark cherries, wild berries, forest floor, and smoky mineral undertones, balanced by silky tannins and a vibrant, refreshing acidity.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1984 when twenty-year-old Markus Molitor assumed control of his family's winemaking legacy, Weingut Markus Molitor has evolved into an undisputed titan of the Mosel. Based at Haus Klosterberg, Molitor manages over 100 hectares encompassing premier steep-slope crus along both the Middle Mosel and Saar, including Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Ürziger Würzgarten, Erdener Prälat, and Scharzhofberg. Viticulture is strictly manual on precipitous gradients of weathered Devonian blue, red, and grey slate. Molitor pursues an uncompromising philosophy centered on sustainable farming, late selective harvesting, native yeast fermentation, and prolonged aging on fine lees in traditional wooden Fuders carved into subterranean slate cellars. Renowned for its singular capsule coding system—white indicating dry, green denoting feinherb (off-dry), and gold designating noble sweet expressions, often tiered with asterisks—the estate crafts crystalline, hyper-mineral Rieslings of monumental depth and aging potential, alongside site-expressive Pinot Noir and Weissburgunder.