Markus Molitor is one of the most significant and prolific producers in the Mosel Valley, a region whose complex Riesling hierarchy of Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese and beyond requires both deep vineyard knowledge and careful cellar discipline to navigate at the level of excellence Molitor has sustained across his 120-hectare estate. Founded in 1984, the domaine has grown from modest origins to become the largest privately held family winery in the Mosel, with holdings across some of the valley’s most celebrated named sites. Molitor’s distinctive capsule colour system identifies wine sweetness levels: white capsule denotes the dry and off-dry styles, gold the more traditional slightly sweet presentation, and additional capsules for botrytised and higher-Prädikat wines.

The Wehlener Klosterberg is a well-regarded vineyard within the Wehlen commune of the Mosel’s central section, producing Riesling of notable mineral precision from the region’s characteristic blue Devonian slate soils. The Kabinett classification represents the lightest and most delicate tier in the Prädikat system, calling for grapes of modest ripeness picked at the lower end of the natural sugar scale to produce wines of light body, low alcohol and extraordinary vivacity and aromatic purity. The 2022 growing season across the Mosel was characterised by significant heat and water stress, producing white capsule wines that were described as somewhat more ‘slender and less expressive’ than the corresponding dry wines from exceptional recent vintages.

James Suckling awarded the 2022 Markus Molitor Wehlener Klosterberg Kabinett White Capsule 90 points, confirming it as a wine of solid quality within its category. The note praises the wine’s characteristic delicacy and precision. Within Molitor’s extensive range, the Wehlener Klosterberg Kabinett serves an important function as a gastronomic wine of immediate accessibility and low alcohol, fitting the contemporary hospitality preference for lighter wines of aromatic complexity that pair effortlessly with a broad range of cuisines. The white capsule designation and the 92-point score together make this a reliable entry point into one of the Mosel’s most celebrated modern estates.

Pale straw with luminous green highlights and a delicate, precise nose of lime blossom, white peach, green apple, wet slate and the characteristic petrol tinge of mature Mosel Riesling at very low levels. Light-bodied on the palate with electric acidity, minimal residual sweetness and a long, mineral finish of great aromatic persistence. An ideal gastronomic Riesling; drink from 2024 through 2032.

A delicate and precise Kabinett from the Klosterberg site in Wehlen, showing characteristic Mosel mineral clarity. Light-bodied, elegant and refreshing, with vivid acidity and a clean, mineral finish. — James Suckling