2014 Markus Molitor Brauneberger Klostergarten Pinot Noir QBA **
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Tasting notes
From 13- to 14-year-old vines (massale selections from Burgundy), the 2014 Pinot Noir Brauneberger Klostergarten *** is super ripe and intense yet pure and fine on the nose. Dark berries, cherries, licorice, toast, underwood, cigars, crushed rocks and floral aromas emerge from the fine, beautifully deep and sweet bouquet that indicates perfectly ripe fruits but also the purity and freshness of the terroir. Silky, smooth and highly elegant on the seductively lush palate, this is an incredibly opulent and intense Pinot Noir that combines power and complexity with vitality, great purity, finesse and gracefulness. The mouthwatering finish is clear, fresh and mineral, giving tension and further complexity. This is a great Pinot Noir from the Mosel that can compete with the world's finest Pinots. 2,300 bottles were filled in August 2017. Tasted two times in March 2018.
Critic scores
David Schildknecht, Vinous
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Predictably, on the nose this “two-star” offering is more sweetly ripe than its “one-star” sibling. Cherry and strawberry mingle with mouthwateringly savory veal stock, and hints of toasty, resinous oak are well-integrated, allowing for a plush feel unperturbed by tannins and a finish that is juicily sustained. Hints of coriander seed and dried marjoram add interest. But the transparency to multiple mineral nuances that made the "one-star" memorable is missing here. In vintage 2013, this bottling had been by far the more impressive wine, but perhaps it lies at least partly in the nature of the 2014 vintage that a lighter touch has been more successful.
Dark cherry is allied with purple plum and accompanied by smoky, toasty notes from barrel in this “two-star” Pinot Noir typical for Molitor in its combination of low-toned, somber flavors with a welcome reservoir of fresh fruit acidity and mouthwatering salinity. Textural richness and mouth-filling breadth are achieved without heaviness. The palate impression and finish here are more opaque than in the very best of this estate’s Pinot Noirs, displaying slightly less nuance than does the corresponding Mandelgraben “one-star” bottling.
In addition to offering rich dark cherry and plum with an edge of fresh red currant and toasty, smoky wood accents, Molitor’s “three-star” Pinot Noir delivers considerably greater complexity than its one- and two-star counterparts. Sweet Virginia and smoky Latakia tobacco, bittersweet inner-mouth floral perfume, plus mouthwatering soy and maritime mineral notes are displayed against a strikingly transparent yet rich pool of fruit. And as usual at this address, abundant tannins are fine-grained and entirely consistent with polish and textural allure even at this youthful stage. While alcohol of slightly over 13 percent in no way sets this bottling apart from its fellow 2012 vintage Molitor reds, it delivers an unusually infectious juiciness and almost buoyant finish. Here is one of many instances where Molitor reveals himself to be among Germany’s half-dozen most exciting practitioners of Pinot Noir. And make no mistake: his reds have an impressive track record for aging! Nov 2016, www.jamessuckling.com, Drink: 2017-2030
About the producer
Markus Molitor is now among the largest privately owned wine estates in the Mosel and also one of the best. With a focus on single-vineyard expressions, the estate produces between 80 and 90 different wines each vintage.