Markus Molitor is the eighth generation to run the family estate, which is based in Wehlen on the banks of the Mosel River. Though the family had a long history in winemaking, the estate comprised a modest 20 acres when Markus took it over as a 20-year-old in 1984. But Markus was ambitious and passionate about the middle Mosel terroir, and he set up sharecropping arrangements with local grape growers, first buying their grapes and later acquiring their land. Today he owns 95 acres spread over 15 sites and 10 communes. Many of his vineyards are in the region’s most prestigious locations, and most are made up of ungrafted vines – many more than 100 years old – planted on very steep hillsides. Nearly 95% of the estate is planted to Riesling, with 3% Pinot Noir and 2% Pinot Blanc. Molitor produces as many as 200 wines from his various parcels, and the wines are known for having very ripe fruit. They range from dry to quite sweet. Critics have been impressed and Robert M. Parker's Wine Advocate has rated several Molitor Rieslings at 100 pts, a rare achievement.