2016 Brauneberger Klostergarten*** Pinot Noir Q.b.A. trocken

Vinous: Almond extract, holly berry and pit-inflected sour cherry, along with musky narcissus and peony perfume, make for a penetratingly high-toned and strikingly multifaceted aromatic display. The impression on a finely tannic palate is correspondingly complex, concentrated and piquant. Toasted oak notes are well-integrated, and a deep, charred-meat savor emerges with inner-mouth aeration. Smoky black tea adds to the fascination of a pithily persistent finish. This has the potential to reveal itself as one of Molitor’s finest Pinot Noirs ever. But it would hardly be a disappointment – let alone a crime – to enjoy some today. (Regrettably, I have not yet tasted Molitor’s other two "three-star" Pinot Noirs of this vintage, from Graacher Himmelreich and Trarbacher Schlossberg.) - David Schildknecht, Aug. 2020