Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese Nr89
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 10 to 35 years from the vintage release, though outstanding bottles can gracefully evolve for half a century.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Classic blue cheeses such as Roquefort, moderately spicy Asian dishes like Thai green curry, and fruit-based desserts like pear tart or apple galette.
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Markus Molitor's Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese Nr89 is a breathtaking expression of one of the Mosel's most singular terroirs. Unlike the typical blue slate of the region, the Urziger Wurzgarten ('spice garden of Urzig') is defined by its striking red volcanic soil and weathered clay-slate. This unique geology, combined with incredibly steep, sun-drenched slopes, yields a Riesling of intense, exotic spice and vibrant tropical fruit. Molitor, a legendary figure in the Mosel known for his uncompromising standards, practices meticulous hand-harvesting, often sending pickers through the vineyards in multiple passes to select only the most perfect, botrytis-affected grapes. Fermented with wild yeasts in large, neutral oak casks, this Auslese beautifully balances rich sweetness with a laser-like beam of acidity, resulting in a wine of profound complexity, elegance, and mineral tension.
🍾 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.