Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese 2*
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 10 to 35 years from the vintage release, though outstanding vintages can easily cellar for 50 years or more.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Classic blue cheeses, rich savory dishes like pan-seared foie gras, and aromatic, moderately spicy Asian cuisine.
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Markus Molitor’s Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese 2* is a masterclass in steep-slope viticulture from one of the Mosel’s most iconic vineyards. The Erdener Treppchen, or 'little staircase of Erden,' owes its name to the stone steps carved directly into the sheer cliffside by Roman-era viticulturists to navigate the treacherous slopes. Unlike much of the Middle Mosel's blue slate, the Treppchen is characterized by iron-rich red slate soils, which impart a unique, fiery minerality, exotic spice, and deep stone-fruit complexity to the Riesling grapes. Molitor’s meticulous 'two-star' (2*) designation indicates a highly selective harvest of exceptionally ripe, partially botrytized grapes. Fermented with wild yeasts in large, neutral oak casks, this Auslese beautifully balances intense concentration, rich texture, and the electric, crystalline acidity that defines world-class Mosel Riesling.
🍾 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.