Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Auslese 2* (Green Capsule)
⏳ Drinking Window
2025 - 2045
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Spicy Asian dishes such as Thai curry, rich roasted pork belly, and aged or washed-rind cheeses.
✨ Technical Specifications
Markus Molitor's Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Auslese 2* Green Capsule is a masterclass in the off-dry (feinherb) style of the Mosel. The green capsule is Molitor's signature indicator for this harmonious balance of delicate residual sweetness and vibrant, structural acidity. Sourced from the steep, slate-rich slopes of the Zeltinger Himmelreich vineyard, where ancient vines cling to weathered Devonian slate, this 100% Riesling benefits from the unique microclimate of the Mosel river valley. The two-star designation indicates a highly selective harvest of exceptionally ripe grapes, yielding a wine of profound complexity and concentration. Molitor utilizes traditional, low-intervention winemaking, including spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in large, neutral oak casks (Fuder). This preserves the intense minerality, smoky slate undertones, and pristine stone fruit aromatics that have defined Mosel winemaking since Roman times.
🍾 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.