Kilburg Max

Max Kilburg – A young maverick takes the Moselle by storm

On the Moselle, in the picturesque village of Wintrich, an exciting wine revolution is currently unfolding. Here, at the historic winery Geierslay, the young winemaker Max Kilburg has taken the reins and is writing one of the region’s most exciting chapters with great talent and a bold commitment to individuality. His family’s roots run deep – viticulture was first mentioned in a document in 1465. Today, Max Kilburg is the 20th generation, to cultivate this historic land, and he has made it his mission to breathe new life into the old traditions with a fresh, uncompromising style.

After completing his studies in Geisenheim and working in South Africa, the USA and Australia, Max returned to his parents’ vineyards with a clear goal: to produce wines that reflect the pure terroir . The initial generational conflicts with his father, who farmed conventionally, quickly gave way to a new, shared vision. Today, his style is celebrated by connoisseurs as ‘young and wild’ – a tribute to his philosophy, which focuses on minimal intervention, spontaneous fermentation and a gentle approach to nature.

The terroir on which Max Kilburg works is quite simply breathtaking. He cultivates only around three hectares of his own vineyards , yet these are situated in the most prestigious sites along the Moselle. His home vineyard is the Wintricher Ohligsberg, a VDP ‘Große Lage’ with steep slopes, inclining at up to 80 per cent, composed of blue-grey slate, which produce an intense minerality. He also cultivates plots in the famous Piesporter Goldtröpfchen, another ‘Große Lage’, whose deep Devonian slate soils are known for softer, more fruit-driven wines.

His Rieslings, particularly the precise Kabinetts, are the centrepiece of his work. They captivate with their electrifying freshness, delicate fruit aromas and deep minerality. Critics such as ‘Mosel Fine Wines’ describe them as ‘firm, precise, racy and of great depth’. Alongside his white masterpieces, Max Kilburg also cultivates Pinot Noir, which is grown in Ohligsberg and aged for 18 months in used barriques – a testament to his versatile skill. With his unmistakable style and the fascinating combination of age-old family tradition and a modern pioneering spirit, Max Kilburg has long since secured a firm place amongst the most exciting winemakers on the Mosel.