A wonderful weeknight wine from one of the leading Mosel wineries to discover.
Taking over the family winery in the mid 1980’s, eights-generation winemaker Markus Molitor’s ambition was to create wines that would reflect the terroir-driven wines with aging potential typical of the golden age of Riesling from the Mosel region.
To accomplish his task, he first had to rebuild the winery nearly from scratch. With Mosel vineyards at the time largely abandoned and winemaking in Germany’s oldest wine region far from what it used to be, this nevertheless offered huge potential – and the chance to purchase plots at some of the best locations in the area.
Starting out with only two hectares under vine, four decades later Weingut Markus Molitor owns close to 100 hectares of vineyards. Including some of the most prestigious locations within the Mosel wine region, from Wehlener Sonnenuhr to Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, Ürziger Würzgarten, Erdener Treppchen and Saarburger Rausch.
The vineyards stretch from Brauneberg to Traben-Trarbach along the Mosel, and include a vineyard within the Saar tributary, allowing a wide range of wine styles thanks to the variety of slate soils and microclimates.
Excellent vineyard locations are only one essential attribute of great wines. What makes the wines from Markus Molitor exceptional in the end is meticulous and uncompromising manual work in the vineyard and cellar, and a clear vision to produce wines that fully express the typical style of each vineyard.
Dedication and hard work have owned Markus Molitor a 100-points rating by Robert Parker, something only very few winemakers have ever achieved.
Around 90% of the winery’s vineyards are planted with Riesling and the style of Markus Molitor Riesling wines ranges from light, albeit powerful wines with balanced acidity for everyday drinking to full-bodies powerful versions from old vines, along with the outstanding top range from vineyards like Wehlener Sonnenuhr.
The perfect choice for a leisurely weeknight dinner, the Wehlener Ortswein Riesling is one of the impressive entry-level wines of Markus Molitor winery.
Wehlener Ortswein Riesling Tasting Notes
Wehlener Ortswein Riesling comes from the vineyard directly encircling the winery at Wehlener Klosterberg. With the vineyards nearly complete southern exposure the grey Devonian slate optimally absorbs the sun, transferring the warmth onto the vines during the night. A forest at the top of the vineyard ensures sufficient water supply while the steep slope allows excess water to drain off quickly.
For the Wehlener Ortswein Riesling, only fully ripe grapes are used. To prevent heat is developed during the fermentation process, the must is slowly cooled down, allowing the white wine to maintain its aromatic range. Grapes are pressed manually and extended yeast storage in large barrels allows the wine to develop its delicately dry fruitiness and to bring out its typical smoky notes of flint.
A wine with great aging potential, over time this delicate white can develop exotic fruity aromas such as pineapple and passion fruit.
In the glass: a subtle straw-yellow
On the nose: delicate aromas of apricot, peach, and green apple
On the palate: fruit-forward, juicy, and rich with nuances of slightly salty minerality and subtle acidity
To pair with steamed fish, poultry, mild vegetable such as asparagus and fennel, Asian dishes, and fruity desserts
In conclusion
If you are looking for a nice wine for a weeknight diner, Wehlener Ortswein Riesling is a perfect match with a wide range of food. I have paired it with a spicy spinach-coconut soup which turned out to be a perfect match.
Get the recipe for the spinach-coconut soup in my previous post.
Carrots and Tigers 