Strong Value Proposition From a Stalwart of German Riesling

Today’s Story: Weingut Dr. Loosen

Weingut Dr. Loosen is a storied wine producer located just outside Bernkastel in the Mosel region of Germany. The winery has been in the Loosen family for over 200 years, making them one of the most well-known producers of Riesling not only throughout Germany but throughout the world. The winery and vineyards came to Ernst “Erni” Loosen in 1988, and he immediately set about improving the quality of wines that ungrafted 60+ year-old vines in some of the Mosel’s best vineyards can produce. Erni believes that great wine should be both a sensual and intellectual pleasure, with each bottle showcasing the unique terroir, passion of the winemaker, and a snapshot of history. This philosophy feeds through to his winemaking style, where Erni strives to balance traditional and family-honed winemaking practices with experimental studies (such as time on lees) to make the best and most transparent wine possible. Nonetheless, all the Dr. Loosen wines ferment spontaneously in wooden barrels and see a minimum of 12 months on lees with no racking and no bâttonnage so as to not add excess weight or cover any nuances provided by the variety or site.

Dr. Loosen has been part of Germany’s VDP (Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter) since 1993, showcasing the incredible pedigree of their vineyards. What’s more, seven of the Dr. Loosen vineyards are designated VDP Grosse Lage (Grand Cru) and these wines are bottled as single vineyard bottlings since 1988. Any other wines produced by Dr. Loosen are labeled Estate or Village Rieslings. The vineyard sites under the Dr. Loosen umbrella include Bernkasteler Lay, Bernkasteler Johannisbrünnchen, Graacher Himmelreich, Graacher Domprobst, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Ürziger Würzgarten, Erdener Treppchen, and Erdener Prälat. As a whole, the variety breakdown is 98% Riesling and 2% Pinot Blanc.

Today’s Wine: 2018 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett

100% Riesling; 8.5% ABV

The 2018 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett is medium straw in color. This takes some time in the glass to blossom, but once it does the aromas are of pronounced intensity and the nose showcases notes of green apple, pear, white peach, orange zest, chamomile, honey, and saline mineral. Meanwhile the flavors are of medium (+) intensity, with the palate displaying notes of green apple, lime, ripe pear, nectarine, white florals, and stony mineral. This medium sweet white is medium-bodied with high acidity, low alcohol, and a medium (+) length finish. Very good and a serious bottling for Kabinett.

Price: $25. I think this offers solid value. While there are cheaper Rieslings around the $15-18 range that I’ve enjoyed about as much as this one, the balance, intensity, and length certainly showcase the high quality here especially relative to all the Riesling I’ve tried.