2015 Markus Molitor, Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Auslese ***, Mosel

Vinous

An another demonstration of his hometown’s under-recognized potential, Molitor has rendered this "three-star" Auslese from a site slightly cooler than the neighboring Hubertuslay, prompting higher acidity and, in his opinion, making for a wine that needs more time to fully express itself. Of course, the fact that this particular offering didn’t even finish fermenting until early August in a sense makes it younger than most of its fellow Auslesen. A prickly nose projects pear distillate, candied lime peel, and raw ginger. The palate impression is correspondingly aggressive and even a bit severe. High acidity coupled with phenomenal extract tame the more than 130 grams of residual sugar for an effect that is by no means overtly sweet. The blazingly bright, almost implosively intense finish grips and innervates with a slightly sweet-sour sense of tension that may well prove productive with time. This is certainly impressive in a rather unruly way. I tasted it right after its September bottling, so it may well have come together in the months following. Still, I would give it a few years before revisiting.