Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2045
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Spicy Asian dishes such as Thai curry, roasted pork belly with fruit glaze, and mature blue cheeses
✨ Technical Specifications
Markus Molitor's Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese is a breathtaking expression of the Middle Mosel's dramatic, slate-strewn slopes. The Zeltinger Sonnenuhr (Sundial) vineyard, named after the historic sundial erected in its midst in 1842, features incredibly steep gradients and highly weathered Devonian slate soils. Molitor, known for his uncompromising pursuit of perfection, harvests these 100% Riesling grapes entirely by hand through multiple meticulous selections. The wine is fermented slowly with wild yeasts in large, neutral oak casks, preserving the crystalline purity of the fruit. This Spatlese captures a brilliant tension between rich, late-harvest stone fruits—like white peach and apricot—and an electric, slate-driven acidity that dances on the palate, showcasing the legendary complexity of Mosel Riesling.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded upon an eighth-generation family viticultural heritage, Weingut Markus Molitor was transformed in 1984 when twenty-year-old Markus Molitor took over the estate at Haus Klosterberg with the dedicated mission of restoring Mosel Riesling to its historic world-class stature. Situated in Bernkastel-Kues in Germany's legendary Mosel region, the winery meticulously cultivates precipitous slate vineyards across renowned grand cru sites such as Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, and Erdener Treppchen. Molitor practices low yields, ultra-selective late hand-harvesting, and gentle spontaneous fermentation in ancient, deep vaulted cellars with minimal intervention. The estate is globally celebrated for its site-expressive Rieslings—distinguished by white, green, and gold capsules indicating dry, off-dry, and botrytized sweet styles—as well as remarkably complex, structured Pinot Noir.