The exceptionally scenic meanders of the central Mosel River are overlooked by some of Germany’s most famous vineyard sites; they are also home to one of the country’s most celebrated modern growers. Markus Molitor has built a small family holding of vines into 40 hectares across prime vineyards. His motto is ‘perfection in the vineyard, selection in the cellar’, and he takes it so seriously that he has to employ a much bigger team than other similarly-sized local estates. Every year the winery releases something in the order of a hundred different wines.

It can be hard to find your way through a Molitor list, but there are clues. Capsules are colour-coded to describe sweetness. white (dry), slate green (feinherb a.k.a. off-dry) and gold (sweet). The Auslesen are starred on an ascending scale of 1-3 to denote finesse, with the tension in the wine becoming tighter as you move up the scale. Markus likes to say that Riesling should be ‘as clear as a mountain stream, as sharp as a Japanese sword’.

It is not only Riesling. Molitor has led the way in re-establishing Pinot Noir in the Mosel, and is producing some of Germany’s very finest examples. Markus notes his style is evolving; in particular, he has been dialling down the new oak. ‘It’s always a balancing act. Oak gives a wine structure and the ability to age. The most powerful wines can take it, and even demand it. On the other hand, oak can mask terroir and nuance in a fine wine.’ And he ruefully admits that global warming is making his job easier; it is now easier to achieve the ‘ideal balance of ripeness and energy’. (NT 03/04/24)