Zeltlinger Schlossberg Auslese
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 10 to 35 years from the vintage, though exceptional years can cellar beautifully for half a century.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Classic blue cheeses, rich foie gras or savory duck terrines, and moderately spicy Sichuan or Thai cuisine.
✨ wine.spec_sheet
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.
🍾 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.