Zeltlinger Schlossberg Auslese
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2045
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Classic blue cheeses, rich foie gras or savory duck terrines, and moderately spicy Sichuan or Thai cuisine.
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted by the visionary Markus Molitor, who took over his family estate in 1984 with the ambition to restore Mosel Riesling to its historical late-19th-century glory, this Auslese is a monument to the steep, sun-drenched slopes of the Zeltlinger Schlossberg. Composed of 100% Riesling grown on weathered Devonian slate soils, the vineyard's dramatic gradient requires painstaking hand-harvesting. Molitor's signature style relies on spontaneous fermentation with ambient yeasts and slow aging in traditional large oak Fuder casks. This Auslese showcases the magical interplay of noble rot, intense stone fruit sweetness, and a piercing, slate-driven acidity that defines the legendary terroir of the Middle Mosel.
🍾 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.