Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Auslese
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 10 to 40 years from the vintage release, as its intense sweetness and structure evolve gracefully over decades.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Classic blue cheeses such as Roquefort, roasted duck with fruit-based glazes, and traditional fruit tarts or apple galettes.
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Markus Molitor took the reins of his family winery in 1984 at the young age of twenty, driven by a vision to restore Mosel Riesling to its historical golden era of extreme longevity and terroir expression. The Zeltinger Himmelreich, translating to the 'Kingdom of Heaven,' is a premier steep-slope vineyard in the Middle Mosel characterized by deep, weathered Devonian slate soils. This unique terroir imparts a distinct, vibrant minerality to the 100% Riesling grapes. Molitor's Auslese is crafted with obsessive care, utilizing extremely late, selective hand-harvesting where multiple passes through the vineyard ensure only the finest grapes—often touched by noble rot—are selected. Fermented slowly with ambient yeasts in neutral oak foudres, this white wine beautifully balances luscious stone fruit sweetness with a laser-like, electric acidity that is characteristic of the Mosel's finest steep-slope wines.
🍾 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.