Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2045
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Spicy Sichuan or Thai cuisine, rich duck liver pâté, and artisanal blue cheeses.
✨ Technical Specifications
Markus Molitor's Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese is a monumental expression of one of the Mosel's most iconic grand crus. The Zeltinger Sonnenuhr (sundial) vineyard, named after the historic sundial erected in 1615 by Jodocus Prüm to guide vineyard workers, features exceptionally steep, south-facing slopes composed of finely weathered Devonian blue slate. Molitor, who took over his family winery in 1984 at just 20 years old, is legendary for his uncompromising quality standards, executing meticulous, multi-pass hand harvests to select only the finest grapes. This 100% Riesling is fermented spontaneously, often in traditional large oak casks (Fuder), preserving the intense mineral tension, vibrant acidity, and luscious stone fruit character that defines the estate's world-class Auslese style. Depending on the capsule color—white for dry, green for off-dry, or gold for sweet—this wine showcases the incredible versatility of the Mosel's unique terroir.
🍾 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.