2011 Markus Molitor Trarbacher Schlossberg Pinot Noir Trocken *** #82

Markus Molitor is the eighth generation to run the family estate, which is based in Wehlen on the banks of the Mosel River. Though the family had a long history in winemaking, the estate comprised a modest 20 acres when Markus took it over as a 20-year-old in 1984. But Markus was ambitious and passionate about the middle Mosel terroir, and he set up sharecropping arrangements with local grape growers, first buying their grapes and later acquiring their land. Today he owns 95 acres spread over 15 sites and 10 communes. Many of his vineyards are in the region’s most prestigious locations, and most are made up of ungrafted vines – many more than 100 years old – planted on very steep hillsides. Nearly 95% of the estate is planted to Riesling, with 3% Pinot Noir and 2% Pinot Blanc. Molitor produces as many as 200 wines from his various parcels, and the wines are known for having very ripe fruit. They range from dry to quite sweet. Critics have been impressed and Robert M. Parker's Wine Advocate has rated several Molitor Rieslings at 100 pts, a rare achievement.

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer is Germany’s most prestigious wine region and it is comprised of the vineyards surrounding the Mosel River and its tributaries, the Saar and Ruwer. This region is the northernmost of Germany’s primary viticultural areas, located on the western edge of Germany just above the northeast corner of France. Internationally Mosel Rieslings are considered among the finest white wines in the world. In Germany and elsewhere, the region’s name is often shortened simply to Mosel, and in fact since 2007 Mosel has been the formal name of the region for viticultural purposes. The references to Saar and Ruwer were dropped for ease of marketing. The distinctively crisp, mineral tasting, acidic Rieslings produced in Mosel are attributed partly to the region’s slate soils and extremely vertiginous vineyards. Many vineyards are on 60 to 80 percent cent inclines along the three rivers. Riesling grapes represent more than half of all the grapes grown in Mosel, followed by Muller-Thurgau, a white wine grape related to Riesling, and Elbling, an indigenous white wine grape often used for sparkling wines.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.