Markus Molitor - Brauneberger Klostergarten** 2016
We drink a bottle of Pinot Noir from the Brauneberger Klostergarten by Markus Molitor from 2016.
We already established that Markus Molitor offers an incredible assortment of different wines here. This selection is not limited to Riesling. A small percentage of the winery’s vineyards are planted with Pinot Noir, which has gained prominence on the Moselle in recent years. In the 19th century, red wine accounted for more than half of the area on the Moselle until white wine began to predominate. It was even forbidden to grow red wine until the 1980s. Today, red grape varieties are planted on almost one tenth of the area, with Pinot Noir making up the largest share. The vines for the wine today are on slate soil in the Brauneberger Klostergarten site, which is on the same side of the Moselle as Brauneberg itself. With two stars, the wine is one step below the top red wines at Markus Molitor. The wine is fermented spontaneously after harvest and then aged in oak after maceration.
The wine smells spicy, there is fresh cherry, undergrowth and leather belt. There is also a bit of smoke. It feels extremely focused and dense. You get the feeling there’s nothing the winemaker didn’t want there. On the tongue comes a lot of structure, the tannin is fine-grained, plus a lot of cool cherry. Out the back is something along the lines of cherry or apricot pits. Marzipan. And at the top of the palate, it’s a bit reminiscent of fruit gum cherries mixed with wood and pepper. It has that focus and density in the mouth as well. With air, it develops a charming stink. Herbs come in now, some forest floor and meat juice. The wine also becomes a bit more open on the tongue and seems more harmonious. The structure and coolness remain, however. Overall, this seems very young and still a bit closed in its density of flavors.
A day later, there is more plum than cherry on the nose. There are also red berries, some damp earth and stone. In the mouth, the Pinot Noir has softened, the fruit seems more discreet and a bit quieter. That’s exactly how we feel about the marzipan note and the structure. Everything has become a bit softer without losing depth of flavor. There is still much to discover, but the impression that a little more time in the cellar might have done it good is not quite gone.