2008 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese (2 Star) WK

“Maybe I shouldn’t mention the quantity I have of this,” says Molitor, “but there are around 18,000 bottles” thanks to its representing an assemblage of lots from several of many prime parcels he owns in the Sonnenuhr. Molitor uses a star notation solely to indicate certain benchmarks in must weight so despite label appearances, his 2008 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Two Star A.P. #42 is still a dry-tasting wine, in this case in part selected from the fruit of his centenarian vines just above the sun dial. Dry Auslesen here can sometimes be alcoholically voluminous but in this instance the richness of texture and sumptuousness of apple and melon fruit is certainly not negatively impacted by any heat or harshness. These dry two-star Auslesen of Molitor’s are also characteristically his wines that receive the longest maceration and spend time in newer casks, in this instance of one and thousand-liter capacity and 3 years old, lending an unmistakable lanolin and spice element, though one that segues comfortably into site-typical elements. “The pips were black here,” observes Molitor by way of explaining the fruit’s ripeness and amenableness to cold soaking, “and were pressed in the old basket press.” This unites the energy of the corresponding Spatlese with nut oil and vanilla richness; of course more body but also more cut; and, with the hints of apple pit, citrus oil, and fruit skin bitterness conveying invigoration while folded into a creamy, slate-lined, finishing envelope. It should be worth following for 12-15 years, as numerous similarly-styled wines in Molitor’s cellar testify though in some vintages, alcohol or wood can remain awkwardly noticeable. The vastness of Markus Molitor’s ambition and energy – as well as of his still-expanding estate – continue to be a cause for wonder. (Consult issues 167 and 185 for further details.) In time for the 2010 harvest, he plans to have moved into completely renovated cellar and receiving facilities, and in the meantime, I can hardly imagine the effort that must have been involved in transferring literally lock, stock, and barrel(s) to the warehouse district on the other side of the Mosel where he and I tasted his 2008 collection. You could say that collection is an abbreviated or stylistically restricted one only in the sense that there are not the dozen or more T.B.A.s that have become a feature of so many recent Molitor vintages, and that have resulted in glass demijohns two and three years deep awaiting bottling. (There were two 2008 Eisweine, one B.A., and one T.B.A. still fermenting when I visited in September.) “This vintage,” says Molitor, “was about, waiting, waiting, waiting … we didn’t really get started until November 10, completely crazy.” Crazy indeed, when one has more than 100 acres to harvest, and no other German grower I know finished as late this year as Molitor (at the end of November). He considers 2008 especially well suited to dry-tasting wines, and the bottled results certainly back him up. “Everybody says in really ripe vintages ‘ooh, great year for trocken!’ but then the wines have too little extract and too much alcohol. I normally bottle 60% dry wines, but in 2003, for example, it was only 7%.” The Molitor label has been redesigned (beautifully, to my eye) but the degree of dryness continues to be signified by a color coding, “trocken,” and “feinherb” being signified now by white and pale green bottle capsules respectively, but not appearing in print on the labels; while unabashedly sweet wines now all (!) receive a gold capsule. Where a dry- and an off-dry-tasting wine here share the same site-designation and Pradikat, one is distinguished from the other in my description by referencing the A.P. #. Bottling is routinely late here, so some wines were still in barrel or tank when I last tasted in September. Only a very small subset of wines is listed in the U.S. (and thus paired with prices in my report), but the importer insists that arrangements are made with those distributors or other customers who are interested in offering any particular wine, and it would be a wise merchant who took them up on this. Importer: Schmitt Soehne, Millersville, MD; tel. 410 729 4083