25 Ha total, and they replanted 20.
It’s much like Maximin Grünhaus, which is 34 ha. This includes the 10-ha 1976 extension on the plateau of Grüneberg.
Do you knowing they are vinifying the wines in the Saar or Zeltingen.
I believe that they are vinifying the wines in Serrig.
Wonder why Roman did not buy this?
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As you know, Roman and Markus are friends and, at one time, both had plans to recultivate Geisberg. When Domäne Serrig came up for sale, Markus decided to focus on this project instead, and Roman purchased the prime part of Geisberg from Markus and replanted it. Roman had already cleared and replanted bordering sections on the steep slope, to go along with his extensive holdings in Wawern and recent acquisitions in Bockstein.
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I should add that Wawern refers primarily to Goldberg but also Ritterpfad, the two sites where Van Volxem has its holdings; von Othegraven has sole possession of the famous Herrenberg, or place-name Großer Herrenberg, which is now the name on the label.
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This discussion certainly makes Molitor’s other 3 star bottlings look like bargains.
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On a relative basis I actually think they are bargains.
That’s kind of my point, and not just with the three-star dry wines but also the residually sweet ones. You can buy the 2020 Bockstein Kabinett feinherb for 15 euros.
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Not to mention all the other crazy relative bargains available from other producers in the region.
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The 25 ha actually comprise the sites of Vogelsang and Heiligenborn in Serrig, both of which include large areas that have been replanted. In the book Mosel Wine, I mentioned the Royal Prussian State Domains, including in Serrig (see note 54). The place-names for these two sites are In der Vogelsang and Im Schießberg. (Schießberg was also the old site name for Heiligenborn.)
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As a follow-up to my previous posts, I just spoke with Daniel Kiowski, who is the Export Director at Domäne Serrig. He said that anyone who has questions about the winery or how the wines are sold can contact him directly for more details.
For the time being, the wines from Serrig are vinified at the Markus Molitor estate. Domäne Serrig is still being renovated. He also confirmed that today’s Vogelsang is 25 ha, which comprises the former sites of Vogelsang and Heilgenborn. The two wines produced in 2020 are from a 5-ha vineyard planted in 1993; the other 20 ha are new plantings. At one time, the vineyard area was over 35 ha. It included five different sites. One was named Hoeppslei and another Hindenburglei. Wingertsheck was the other site name, to go along with Vogelsang and Heiligenborn.
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Interesting to read this thread. The 2020 wines were released in Norway over a month ago (at €200/€100 per bottle) and just are not shifting. Norway is traditionally a very strong market for German wines, with a serious track record of buying Molitor, so this would seem to be a bad start for the domaine…
Fewer than 100 bottles of each were brought in and, although a handful were sold on the date of release (25th April), the vast majority are still on the shelves. From what I can see not a single bottle has shifted since, from any of the dozen branches that have them in stock.
My understanding is that 8000 bottles of each wine were released from the 2020 vintage with a further unknown number held back for library releases and cellar sales…
Has anyone tased these yet?
Has Molitor seriously miscalculated?
Is the quality of these wines actually so high that interest will pick up despite the high production levels?
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I have not tasted them however the 2020 Grosse Lage did score 100 points from Stefan Reinhardt and the Kabinett 97. I would think that alone plus Molitor’s following would be enough. As soon as they land in the U.S. I will taste.
I definitely don’t believe Molitor has miscalculated.
This is a work in progress and I should think one, two or more decades are intended for the estate to evolve into a top-tier domäne.
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I agree with you.
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It’s certainly priced like it’s already top tier…
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Oh yes, definitely! As you know, anchoring the price in the market is crucial for establishing the brand and it’s perceived value.
I guess I wasn’t quite clear with what I meant about miscalculated. I’m sure there’s scope to build the reputation of the domaine so that it is considered top tier. But it might not be a good start to release a ton of bottles straight away and have them languishing on shelves for ages. Surely that will work against what he wants to achieve? In a market where people often chase small-volume bottlings/producers (largely at significantly lower prices) releasing such a massive hoard in one go - and for them not to sell - will surely have a negative impact on their reputation?
I get that releasing through La Place is aimed at selling along the Bdx model - which he has the volume to achieve - but if the wines don’t sell… we already know that collectors of German wines do not predominately follow scores when deciding on their purchases… I don’t know any German wine collectors who have jumped on this train, so is this aimed at a completely different market?
And will demand pick up as the production starts to increase? With 25ha he can easily bump production to 100.000 bottles. It does seem like a big gamble to set the price so high from the outset…
I’ll have to buy a bottle of each and give them a go!
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