Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese 1*
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2045
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Spicy Asian dishes such as Thai green curry, rich blue cheeses like Roquefort, and classic fruit tarts or apple strudel.
✨ Technical Specifications
Markus Molitor's Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese 1* is a masterclass in Mosel precision, hailing from the legendary 'spice garden' of Urzig. Unlike the blue slate characteristic of much of the Middle Mosel, the Wurzgarten's amphitheater-like cliffs are composed of iron-rich, red volcanic soil and weathered red slate. This unique terroir imparts a famously exotic, wild, and spicy character to the Riesling grapes. Markus Molitor, known for his uncompromising quality and artisanal approach, harvests these steep slopes entirely by hand. The grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, preserving the pristine purity of the fruit. The single-star (*) designation signifies a premium selection of highly concentrated grapes, resulting in an Auslese of remarkable tension, where luscious tropical fruit and rich honeyed notes are perfectly balanced by a striking, electric 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.