Molitor Extravaganza 11-30-2023

 

Ambition and drive define Markus Molitor and his incredible wines. After 35 years at the helm of the family business, Markus remains one of the most respected winemakers in the world.
 
As a towering figure in the Mosel, with an impressive, modern winery and holdings in almost every important vineyard in the region, Molitor crafts dozens of wines each year. He believes that every single sub-parcel and selective pick should be vinified to its utmost potential. He not only keeps specific vineyard blocks separate, but also specific passes through the vineyard. What results is a somewhat confusing, especially to those unfamiliar with German labeling conventions, but deeply rewarding portfolio of wines to explore.
 
Whether white capsule (dry), green capsule (off-dry), or gold capsule (fruity to nobly sweet), Markus’ wines represent some of the Mosel’s best. And thanks to his extensive holdings, Molitor offers German Riesling lovers with a passport to explore many of the region’s most important vineyards – including Ürziger Würzgarten, Graacher Himmelreich, and Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, just to name a few. 

It’s no secret that we’ve long adored these wines, having stocked every bottle available since the 2015 vintage. And that’s excellent news for you: that means we can offer this massive array at rock-bottom prices. How to choose? Why not start with our selections on sale now!
 
In Stock & On Sale Now from Markus Molitor:
 
Markus Molitor Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese** Green Capsule, Mosel 2016 750ml WAS $51.90 NOW $46 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2016 Riesling Bernkasteler Badstube Auslese ** (Green Capsule) offers a pretty clear and delicate, fresh and flinty bouquet with bright fruit aromas and clayey wet slate notes. On the palate, this is a tensioned, fresh, mineral and tightly woven Auslese in the medium sweet style. It’s truly piquant and fresh, and the ripe, concentrated fruit is well balanced by vibrating minerals and phenolic grip. The finish is very long and fine, with a lot of salinity and slatey freshness. This is an impressive wine, but you should be patient with it. Tasted March 2018.”
 
Markus Molitor Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese*** Green Capsule, Mosel 2016 750ml WAS $89 NOW $79 special, 18 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 98 points “The 2016 Riesling Graacher Himmelreich Auslese *** (Green Capsule) is deep and complex on the nose, though discreet in its fruit expression straight from the bottle. However, the fruit is beautifully flinty, fresh and really fine. Lush and round on the palate, this is a full-bodied, ripe and intense yet well-balanced and elegant Himmelreich whose sweetness of roughly 30 grams per liter is still prominent at this young age. However, the wine is intense, long, firmly structured, very mineral and provided with serious tannins and a lot of stones. I am tasting it far too early (and straight after the three-starred Rosenberg Auslese), but it’s a highly promising Riesling from a great vintage for the Mosel. Bottled in September 2017; tasted March 2018.”
 
Markus Molitor Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese*** Green Capsule, Mosel 2018 750ml WAS $125 NOW $99 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 97 points “Typically bright and open on the nose, with crunchy and flinty slate aromas, the coolish and precise 2018 Riesling Graacher Himmelreich Auslese *** (Green Capsule) is a very fine and elegant, crystalline, fresh and precise, very long and salty Riesling with sweet and concentrated fruit and a long, intense and tightly structured finish. This is a laser-sword Riesling that needs about a decade to refine, yet it will deliver for sure. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.”
 
Markus Molitor Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese** Gold Capsule, Mosel 2019 750ml WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 20 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 96+ points “The yellow-golden 2019 Graacher Himmelreich Auslese ** (Golden Capsule) is brilliantly clear yet also intense and concentrated on the pure, fresh, finely raisined and herbal (rosemary), slightly honeyed nose that is complex and ambitious. Dense and juicy, with a vivacious purity and great finesse, this is a concentrated, vibrantly fresh and tightly structured Auslese with a remarkably digestible finish. There might be some percentage of botrytis that gives this Auslese a lush texture that is otherwise terribly clear and vital. I’d keep it for at least 7 years and up to 40, if only I could. Attention, though, the wine has serious acidity. Tasted from AP 39 20 in May 2021.”
 
Markus Molitor Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Auslese*** Green Capsule, Mosel 2016 750ml WAS $89 NOW $79 special, 23 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2016 Riesling Kinheimer Rosenberg Auslese *** (Green Capsule) offers a super fine raisin and refreshing slatey/flinty bouquet that indicates great purity, finesse and crunchy/slatey freshness. The fermentation stopped at 34 grams of residual sugar per liter (11% alcohol), and the resulting wine is highly delicate, pure, lush and piquant on the palate. It is quite sweet and shows celery flavors as well as great tension that is neither rustic nor challenging but really fine, giving vibrancy, grip and energy to the lush and generous but always precise and elegant Riesling fruit. This is an exciting wine, and Markus filled it as a three-starred Auslese for the first time because he was convinced the wine deserves it. Tasted March 2018.”
 
Markus Molitor Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spatlese White Capsule (Trocken), Mosel 2018 750ml WAS $31.90 NOW $28 special, 32 bottles in stock now
Decanter 93 points “Here we jump to an iconic Saar site, defined by Devonian slate, greywacke, some quartzitic sandstone and steepness. Wet stone, white currant, yellow apple and some lemon combine in a lovely vision of freshness. This is bright but even in this iconic Saar vineyard the warmth of 2018 is apparent. Yet the stoniness cuts through and leaves us with that lovely, racy zestiness we all crave from Riesling. These citrus notions linger and will you to take another sip. Wonderful.”
 
Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese** White Capsule (Trocken), Mosel 2017 750ml WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 96+ points “Bottled with moderate 11% alcohol, the 2017 Riesling Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese ** (White Capsule) is crystalline and super precise on the clear and flinty nose that exhibits crunchy, iron-rich stone and lime zest aromas. It is lean and fresh but dense and intense on the palate, with ripe, round and concentrated Riesling fruit, some sweetness and refined acidity. This is an elegant, highly finessed and stimulating Würzgarten with a lingering, salty-piquant finish. This wine pairs its moderate alcohol level with great complexity and mineral tension. It’s a fabulous yet still very young Würzgarten of extraordinary class and style. Tasted in March and April 2019.”
 
Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese*** Gold Capsule 2015 750ml WAS $99 NOW $89 special, 5 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 98+ points “The 2015 Riesling Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese *** (Golden Capsule) offers a very clear, deep, intense and complex stone fruit aroma with some very discreet toast and crushed stone flavors. Full-bodied, rich and powerful but enormously racy-piquant and mineral so that you don’t taste its sweetness, this is a great, expressive terroir wine with a huge inner concentration that comes from the soils rather than dried berries. It is based on grapes with dry raisins due to perfect botrytis combined with healthy berries that deliver the tremendous freshness in this gorgeous Auslese that also reveals some fine tannins from the aging partly in small oak.”
 
Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese** Gold Capsule, Mosel 2016 750ml WAS $69 NOW $59 special, 7 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 97 points “Molitor and Mosel fans shouldn’t miss the chance to buy at least a case of the 2016 Riesling Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese ** (Golden Capsule)—one of the five different Auslesen Markus Molitor selected in his most important grand cru. The sweet two-starred Auslese comes from the Schiesswingert and the Fliegenberg. It opens with a deep, clear, very fine and complex bouquet of perfectly ripe Riesling berries with very fine botrytis flavors and refreshing flinty notes from the fine slate of the Sonnenuhr. Lush and generous on the palate, with a perfectly ripe and concentrated Riesling fruit, very fine minerals and crunchy slate flavors, this is an exciting Auslese of great finesse and elegance. The finish is delicate but tensioned thanks to the crunchy-salty slate sensation that gives structure as well as finesse and energy. Bottled in September 2017; tasted March 2018.”
 
Shop our entire close-out sale, featuring over 240 selections, including wines from Aldo Conterno, Cantina del Pino, and Donnhoff!
     
The Urziger Wurzgarten, or ‘spice garden’ is an intensely steep, iron-rich red slate vineyard. Though it’s located right next to the Erdener vineyards, the Ürziger wines are vastly different: the volcanic soils and favorable drainage lead to an earthy, spice-laden, tropical fruit-tinged wine. The confluence, too, of its steep slope and refraction from the Mosel River create a richer and fuller bodied style of Riesling that acts as a measuring rod for the rest of the country.
 
The awe-inspiring growing conditions allow for the entire spectrum of Riesling to be produced ranging from dry to lusciously sweet. Much like the Grand Cru vineyards of France there are multiple owners sourcing from the same vineyard, creating a tapestry of interpretations from the same vintage and site.
 
At the top echelon of growers is Markus Molitor. Most winemakers would pick once or twice (or three times) in a vineyard and vinify many lots together—it’s easier and the wines are good.  Molitor, though, asks what each parcel and pick would be like on its own—treated as if it were a wine of distinction rather than a blending component.  This is a lot of extra work and requires time and space that most winemakers would rather not spend, but the result is a dizzying number of bottlings that all strive toward perfection.

The critical praise backs this up—Marcus Molitor’s wines are some of the most lauded in the world. Whether white capsule (dry), green capsule (off-dry), or gold capsule (fruity to nobly sweet), he manages to produce wines that captivate and astound. Don’t miss his 2019s, in stock now.
 
“After a stunning 2018 vintage, 2019 is another top vintage for Markus Molitor… Molitor’s 2019 Rieslings are bright, precise, laser-sharp and super clear. They exhibit ripe and aromatic fruit and precise terroir flavors that make all the wines incredibly distinctive.” -Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
 
2019 Markus Molitor Rieslings In Stock Now from Urziger Wurzgarten:
 
Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett White Capsule (Trocken), Mosel 2019 750ml $28 special, 33 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2019 Ürziger Würzgarten Kabinett (White Capsule) is highly refined and almost floral in its precisely slatey and flinty finesse that integrates very fine Riesling aromas. Everything seems to be in a young style for this wine that is pure, structured and dry, with a lovely mix of tannins, crystalline slate acidity and lingering salinity. This is not really fragile like, say, a Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr; instead, it’s filigreed and has strong bones. Fine tannins structure the fresh and lemony yet rich finish. A serious terroir wine with just 10.5% alcohol. Tasted in May 2021.”
 
Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese White Capsule (Trocken), Mosel 2019 750ml $29.90 special, 19 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93+ points “The 2019 Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese (White Capsule) already shows on the nose its perfect ripeness and elegant richness in a highly refined and enormously flinty, even tannic manner. The palate is very elegant, lush and ripe yet most of all vibrantly fresh and salty-piquant, revealing a salivating, firmly structured and tannic finish. This is a Würzgarten to keep for at least 3-4 years before opening. Tasted in May 2021.”
 
Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese** White Capsule (Trocken), Mosel 2019 750ml $54.50 special, 21 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2019 Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese ** (White Capsule) is deep, pure, fresh and flinty as well as floral on the dense and complex nose. Round, lush and elegant on the palate, this is a salty, piquant and textural Würzgarten with dramatic tension and grip. This is a gorgeous, highly potential dry Riesling with lingering salinity and serious tannin grip. I highly recommended cellaring this for 5-10 years. Tasted in May 2021.”
 
Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett Green Capsule, Mosel 2019 750ml $28 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 94+ points “Molitor’s 2019 Ürziger Würzgarten Kabinett (Green Capsule) opens pure and flinty on the deep and complex, very intense yet bright and fascinating, seductive and terroir-driven nose. Lush and round on the palate yet with salty-piquant and vibrantly fresh acidity, this is a structured, even somewhat tannic Kabinett to cellar for at least 2-3 more years. Very long and endlessly salty. Tasted in May 2021.”
 
Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett Gold Capsule, Mosel 2019 750ml $26 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92 points “From the higher parts of the cru, the 2019 Ürziger Würzgarten Kabinett (Golden Capsule) is clear, bright, intense and fruity on the elegant, slatey nose. The palate is lush, round and aromatic as well as refined, and the sweetness is balanced by the delicate, vivid, crystalline acidity. The finish is stimulatingly salty. A lovely wine that I would keep for some years, though the 2019 already drinks very well. Tasted in May 2021.”
 
Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese Gold Capsule, Mosel 2019 750ml $33 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 94+ points “The 2019 Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese (Golden Capsule) opens with a clear, refined and elegant, perfectly ripe and lush Riesling bouquet with floral, slate and honey notes. Round and intense on the palate, this is a piquant Würzgarten with vibrantly fresh acidity and crunchy slate tannins, a combination with the ripe and juicy fruit that is irresistible. Tasted in May 2021.”
 
Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese** Gold Capsule, Mosel 2019 750ml $49 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2019 Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese ** (Golden Capsule) is another absolutely brilliant Riesling that opens incredibly pure and coolish with a perfume of crushed slate and lemon verbena notes on the dense, stony and herbal nose. Succulent yet refined and elegant on the superbly balanced and seamless palate, this is a generous yet refined Auslese with subtle yet sustainable mineral finesse and energy. Stimulatingly salty and crystalline on the airy finish. Tasted from AP 89 20 in May 2021.”
 
Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese*** Gold Capsule, Mosel 2019 750ml $125 special, 19 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 98+ points “The golden-yellow-colored 2019 Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese *** (Golden Capsule) is highly refined and perfectly precise on the nose that has slate and herbal notes as well as very fine Riesling aromas. Lush and generous on the sweet and concentrated palate yet super fine and with stimulating grip, this is an utterly refined and salivating Auslese with an enormously long, complex and stimulating grippy and salty finish. Gorgeous and mouth-titillating. Tasted in May 2021.”
 
Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Beerenauslese, Mosel 2019 375ml $79 special, 11 half-bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2019 Ürziger Würzgarten Beerenauslese is clear, fresh and very delicate on the subtle yet complex nose that reveals white tea aromas along with lemon-scented notes of crushed stones. Round and filigreed on the palate, this is a light and delicate, finessed yet intense and salty BA whose sweetness is well captured by mineral grip and tension. This is a really excellent, frisky and digestible BA for aperitifs, entrées and desserts. 6% alcohol. Tasted in May 2021”

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