Dr Loosen - Grosse Lage Ürziger Würzgarten - Auslese 2019
Dr. Loosen is a producer based near Bernkastel in the Mosel region of Germany . Led by wine personality Ernst "Ernie" Loosen , it is one of Germany's most famous Riesling producers. Ernie Loosen, who has been in charge since 1988, was Decanter magazine's Man of the Year in 2005 and is widely regarded as one of the world's most influential winemakers. The estate has six large vineyards, all of which were designated as Erste Lage in the 1868 Prussian classification of Moselle vineyards. These include famous names such as Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Erdener Prälat and Graacher Himmelreich, and wines from these sites are released as single vineyard labels. In addition to slate and mineral-rich volcanic soils and classic, long, cool summers, these rocky vineyards also have old, ungrafted vines, some of which are over 120 years old. Dr. Loosen offers a wide range of styles, from botrytis-free dry Rieslings to rich, lush sweet wines.
This Riesling is produced from grapes classified as Grosse Lage (Grand Cru) from the Ürziger Würzgarten vineyard whose terroir is made up of red volcanic rock. From Prädikatswein Auslese it is made with fully ripe grapes (50%) and partly affected by noble rot (50%). The Auslese grade is made from grapes that have a must weight of 83-110 Oechsle (the hydrometric scale measuring the density of grape must) which equates to 191-260 g/L of residual sugar, and where the grapes are harvested manually with noble rot.
Varietal: 100% Riesling