External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher
Vintages
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
Show more
From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
|
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.5 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 27 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by commissaire_aux_vins on 4/5/2020 & rated 92 points: Broad-shouldered, with full fruit and nice acidity backing up its prominent sweetness. Versatile in pairing, but really shone when paired with a fatty bite, like prosciutto. (1195 views) | | | Tasted by hermesbach32 on 4/10/2018 & rated 90 points: Full of spicy, well-nouanced flavours and a master example of elegance
As with many Loosen wines, concentration and tightness of flavour structure is not that great, but this is a classic Würzgarten Spätlese from a warm and very good vintage (1915 views) | | | Tasted by Demikalsen on 4/8/2018 & rated 90 points: Drukket til ost, det funket bra. Fin balanse, god sødme. Mango og litt sitrus, litt mineraler (1768 views) | | | Tasted by forceberry on 1/27/2018 & rated 92 points: 7,5% alcohol.
Luminous, medium-deep lime green color. Obviously very ripe, sweet and quite concentrated nose with intense and attractive aromas of lemon marmalade, some peppermint - even a touch of tootpaste! - a little bit of floral apple blossom character, a hint of ginger and a touch of orange marmalde. The warm and dry vintage of 2011 really shows here. On the palate the wine feels medium-sweet and quite full-bodied for a Mosel Riesling with breadth and sense of concentration and weight. There are quite powerful, very ripe and somewhat tropical flavors of papaya, tart peach, some yuzu fruit, a little bit of herbal spice, light pepperminty character, a hint of beeswax and a touch of beeswax. With some air, the wine becomes a tad sweeter and the peach notes start to turn towards apricot gummi candy notes. The wine is quite big and somewhat oily on the palate with moderately high acidity. The really lengthy finish is quite sweet and pretty concentrated with rich and vibrant flavors of peaches and nectarines, slatey mineral cut, some spicy herbal bitterness, a little bit of lemon marmalade and a hint of papaya.
This is quite a crowdpleaser with immense ripeness, power and persistence. The wine really isn't that sweet as it appears to be, but instead the fruit here is so ripe that it underlines the inherent sweetness of the wine quite effectively. Overall the style here is quite big and rich for a Mosel Spätlese and the difference to the Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese 2014 that was drunk alongside was remarkable - this is much, much weightier and concentrated in style. Although there is still quite a bit of mileage left in this wine, cellaring-wise, I doubt that this wine will age as long and as gracefully as the lighter, more acid-driven vintages. Probably this wine will peak a bit after its 10th brithday and drink well until its 20th. Great and powerful stuff that is very drinkable already. Although I can imagine this wine will develop more from here, I doubt the score will go much higher. Good value at 26,99€. (2062 views) | | | Tasted by janis1207 on 7/19/2016 & rated 90 points: There was both attack and subtlety in it. Excellent! (2648 views) | | | Tasted by winepog on 4/20/2016 & rated 91 points: Delicious (2147 views) | | | Tasted by tcosgriff on 4/3/2016 & rated 90 points: Yellow color with a bouquet and flavor of petrol and apples. Sweeter than the average Spatlese. Not a great deal of nuance or depth but good balance and acidity. I no longer favor very sweet German wines, favoring Kabinetts. (1887 views) | | | Tasted by sidaga on 3/18/2016 & rated 91 points: Robe jaune pâle;
Nez majoritairement sur les fruits exotiques (mangues, ananas). Ensemble frais & aérien. Petite touche très légère pétrolée qui apporte une belle profondeur. Petit qqchose de gomme à savon. Très beau parfum & invitant.
Bouche de fruit exotique bien mûre. Ensemble bien expressif, en fraîcheur. sucre (miel) légèremet perceptible mais en parfait équilibre grâche à une aciditée bien vive. Salivant, très ample & long. Très digeste! Superbe! (1893 views) | | | Tasted by UnconditionalSurrender on 9/7/2015 & rated 93 points: clear golden yellow, juicy, mineral, full-bodied, mature, sweet - very, very good! A wonderful Mosel Riesling as it should be! (2157 views) | | | Tasted by lolo66 on 10/24/2013 & rated 89 points: NY Wine Experience (Marriot Marquis): pleasant, enjoyable, good fruit, correct, nothing earth shattering but wrote quite nice. (3498 views) | | | Tasted by AWineFan on 10/18/2013 & rated 90 points: Yes, it's delicious but seems a bit sweet for a spatlese. Maybe I am getting spoiled by such good Riesling coming out of Germany and Washington state. Honeysuckle, pears, apples and a little minerality on the nose and palate; but the sugar dominates. (2178 views) | | | Tasted by subir on 6/5/2013 & rated 93 points: This wine is a perfect example of why I love spatlese. It has the beautiful tropical nose, and a knife-edge balance between sweetness and acidity. Urziger Wurztgarten through and through. (2475 views) | | | Tasted by rossi.wine on 6/2/2013 & rated 92 points: Primary fruit on the nose, tropical, ripe - apricot, pineapple; mineral and a touch spicy. Honeyed fruit on the palate, quite sweet, very round and fresh, good acidity, persistent and quite long. Should be better from 2015. (2421 views) | | | Tasted by lepetitchateau on 3/26/2013 & rated 92 points: This was a very satisfying wine. The color was pale, almost clear in fact. The nose showed some tropical fruits with a touch of honey. On the palate, it was sweet like an Auslese – lovely honey, nectar mixed with minerality and a touch of light acidity. Lovely balance, light-bodied in texture but in a good way because the acidity is not overpowering. (2360 views) | | | Tasted by sidaga on 2/15/2013 & rated 89 points: Vin montrant peu de couleur. Jaune très pâle.
Nez très fruité (fruits exotiques: ananas, pêche, mangue...). Belle fraîcheur apportée par des touches d'herbes vertes. Belle concentration. Avec le temps, il se développe une pointe d'épices.
En Bouche c'est tout aussi fruité qu'au nez. Sucre assez présent. Texture quasi-liquoreuse. Toujours très concentré un long en bouche. Finale légèrement épicé.
Au départ, je trouvais le vin un peu "lourd" (très riche) mais avec le temps, ce dernier était de plus ne plus digeste.
Un gros 7,5% d'alcool... Ça coulait assez bien. Très beau produit. Dure à battre pour les 26,00$ (CAD) payer au "duty free" de Munich.
Il m'en reste une pour voir ce que ça va dire avec quelques années dans le corps.
Salutations (1504 views) | | | Tasted by Yagil on 1/29/2013 & rated 89 points: classic fruity and enjoyable semi-dry Riesling (1460 views) | | | Tasted by StefanAkiko on 12/8/2012 & rated 90 points: Stockholm tasting @MatsB (MatsB): Non-blind. Had immediately (@MatsB, Stlm)
Impression: Outstanding
Very pale color and almost sparkling.
Tropical aromas and Riesling grape aromas.
(Served a little warm) On the palate, it is drinking exquisitely well. Has the Riesling somersault on the finish. This is sweet like an Auslese and little low on acids. However, with cold serving, should never be a problem.
Am not so fond o these younglings. Prefer the wonders that come out of Mosel in a more mature state. However, this one comes with a big sign that says: "FUTURE PROMISE!" (1829 views) | | | Tasted by nonexpert on 12/1/2012 & rated 88 points: Sweet, with hints of honey, apricot and red apple. A bit Sauternes-like. (1583 views) | | | Tasted by jibby on 10/8/2012 & rated 92 points: Very pale straw in color, almost as clear as water. Quite a lovely aroma: pear, honey, earth.A touch of sweetness. A delicate balance. Wow, delicious. (1469 views) | | | Tasted by madia on 6/24/2012 & rated 89 points: Ernst Loosen ( Dr. Loosen) in Wine Route Tel Aviv: Light bright yellow. Exquisite on the nose – a mix of minerals and predominant tropic fruits. Medium bodied. I thought it lacked some acidity. (2110 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Dr. Loosen Producer website
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)
Source: VinConnect (VinConnect.com)
About Dr. Loosen
This exceptional estate, which produces some of the purest and highest quality Rieslings in Germany, has been in the Loosen family for over two centuries. The most recent member of the family to take charge of the winery, Ernst Loosen, took over in 1988, leaving behind a promising career in archaeology to tend to the great vineyards of 120-year-old Rieslings that are his heritage. Having studied in the shadow of some of the world’s best winemakers in Austria, Alsace, Burgundy and California, Ernst began his tenure at the estate with the motivation to modernize and streamline production, instituting organic agriculture in the vineyard, strict fruit selection and sorting processes and modernizing the aging winery.
The Dr Loosen estate produces a wide range of wines from affordable estate Rieslings to a number of single vineyard Grosses Gewächs (Grand Cru) wines from some the of the most prized parcels in the Mosel including the Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard, Ürziger Würzgarten, Graacher Himmelriech, Erdener Treppchen and Erdener Prälat.
A number of elements make these and the other great vineyards of the Mosel valley so exceptional – the climate, the soil and the age of the vines. Steep south facing slopes create the perfect climate for the indigenous grape, Riesling, to grow and thrive in the low-lying northern sun. Generally cool conditions ensure that the grapes ripen slowly while retaining the bright acidity that great German Rieslings are so know for. The slate soil also plays an important role in what makes these vineyards special – the Mosel’s stony soil and rocky cliffs reflect sunlight and hold in heat, creating very warm microclimates in the best sites and helping to ensure excellent ripeness. Thin topsoil forces the vines to dig deep for water and nutrients, producing vibrant wines that capture the strong minerality of the region’s terroir. Finally, the old vines (over 70 years on average) which are all planted on original rootstock (phylloxera cannot not survive in the Mosel allowing most of the region’s original vines to survive), naturally produce smaller yields, resulting in grapes that are highly concentrated and rich.
The wines of Ernst Loosen represent some of the most consistently high quality wines from the Mosel Valley leading Ernst to receive a great number of accolades including Gault & Millaut’s Winemaker of the Year, Decanter’s Man of the Year and one of the World’s 50 Most Influential Winemakers from Wine & Spirtis magazine.
Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling SpätleseDesignated "Fischerei" in 2012
From www.loosenbrosusa.com:
"From a parcel called “Fischerei,” which is mostly red slate, rather than the red volcanic soil in the center of Würzgarten"Riesling Varietal character (Appellation America) | A short history of Riesling (Uncork) | Riesling (wikipedia)Spätlese Wikipedia article on Spätlese.Ürziger Würzgarten On weinlagen-infoGermany Wines of Germany | The Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates (VDP) | How to read a German wine label | Geographical Information Down to Single Vineyards
#2014 Vintage Notes:
2014 Vintage Report by Terry Theise
2014 Vintage Report by Wine Spectator
"My gut still tells me the Saar (and to some extent) the Ruwer are better overall in 2014 than the more storied areas of the Mosel proper, but those that spent the requisite time living in their middle-Mosel vineyards made some of the most electric and "feathery" Riesling in a long time (maybe the finest in 20 years - yes, it's true!)" - Jon Rimmerman (Of course only a very short historical memory would call the Saar and Ruwer less 'storied' than the middle Mosel - jht)Mosel Saar RuwerStarting in 2007 the German wine authorities have changed labeling laws to rename all of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wines to just "Mosel." This puts this and other database driven sites in a difficult spot, as millions of old wine label reflect the former labeling. As described here, CellarTracker has elected to remain with the old labeling for a number of years to avoid confusion. At some point we will switch over to just "Mosel" but not for a few years at least.
Mosel WeinKulturland (Moselwein e.V.)
Detailed geographical information at weinlagen.info
#2018 Vintage Notes:
"Acid levels are relatively low throughout Riesling-growing Europe (acidification will once again be permitted in Germany – no surprise, as that’s been the case in eight of the last 10 vintages); but because malic acid was baked off or degraded by relentlessly balmy weather means, what acid remains is overwhelmingly of the efficacious tartaric sort. Extract levels are low, as one would anticipate from a growing season during which relatively little moisture was coursing through the vine’s roots and shoots. [...] Everyone is astonished how there could have been so much juice despite the drought." - David Schildknecht
"2018 is a homogenous vintage with a very high general level, below which it seldom falls [...] It leads with blossom. It is perhaps 80% delicious and 20% fascinating." - Terry Theise
#2017 Vintage Notes:
"not so friendly towards light wines" - Milkmansteve
#2016 Vintage Notes: "Overall, 2016 is a charmer of a vintage with much immediate ripe and fruity appeal, not unlike 2011 (in fresher) or 2007 (in lighter). However, 2016 is far from being homogeneous, in fact it is composed of a mosaic of vintages, a result of the freakish growing conditions. Hidden inside the vintage, there are true gems with the balance of 1997, one of the best vintages ever, 2002 or even 2008. The bulk of the harvest was brought in with refreshingly moderate sugar levels. Overall, the Saar and Ruwer produced slightly fresher wines than the Middle Mosel but there are great differences between Estates. The good harvest conditions allowed for some Auslese, little BA and even TBA wines, but some remarkably pure and fruity Eiswein.
In general, 2016 offers the opportunity to acquire Riesling with great immediate ripe appeal: The vintage is a true charmer. At the top, 2016 is one of the most exciting and elegantly balanced vintage since the 1990s and well-worth stocking up for cellaring! In particular, we urge our readers to literally plunge onto the finest Kabinett and Spätlese: These are some of the most exciting and classic we have ever tasted. 2016 looks also set to become a major vintage for dry Riesling, provided the aromatics are not overripe. Lovers of dessert wines will find much to love in 2016 as the Auslese are pure and the Eiswein are gorgeously fruity. They should however also keep an eye open for the remaining stunning noble-sweet wines from 2015 which are still available here and there." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 36, July 2017
#2014 Vintage Notes:
"The heterogeneity of the 2014 vintage carries over onto the aging process. The top wines start to close down, as one would expect from these wines which are a remake of those from the 1990s. The wines affected by gin, saffron and mushroom flavors are still comparatively open and offer a not unattractive Scheurebe styled fruit opulence. We would opt to drink up these lesser wines except for the odd bottle and bury the little treasures of the vintage deep into the cellar." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 30, March 2016
#2013 Vintage Notes:
"The fruity-styled 2013 wines have firmed up significantly since last year and start to show signs of closing down, making the underlying acidity seemingly sharp and out of balance. The better dry wines have come out of their early armor of smoke and tannin but the acidity may prove quite challenging. Quite frankly, except for some smaller bottlings, this is a vintage to lay down and wait." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2012 Vintage Notes:
"The 2012 wines have put on some flesh and go through a 'fattier' phase which is not unlike what the 2007 went through at the same period. However, the zestier acidity cuts through this 'weight' and makes the wines thoroughly enjoyable at this early stage. In particular the fruity Kabinett and Spatlese as well as the off-dry and dry wines offer much pleasure. We expect these wines to close down over the coming year or two. Enjoy while it lasts!" - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2011 Vintage Notes:
"A bit to our surprise, the 2011 wines have shut down and go through a quite difficult and muted phase now. Their low acidity combined with their maturity makes them feel rich, opulent and often bulky, and thus not really enjoyable. We expect that these will need at least a decade to integrate their sweetness and gain in harmony. The only exception is the dry wines, whose low acidity makes for great food companionship." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2010 Vintage Notes:
"After a mellower period in 2012, many 2010 wines have firmed up and developed a stronger smoky side. However, most continue to shine through their fruit opulence, structure and deliciously zesty but ripe acidity. This suits in particular the off-dry bottlings, which have more charm than the legally dry wines. Will these wines close down? Actually, the softening acidity makes us wonder now but it also provides further evidence that these wines will turn out harmonious after all." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2009 Vintage Notes:
"Most 2009 wines have closed down, which accentuates their round and soft side forward. Many can still be quite enjoyable but the times of primary fruit with its attractive aromatic expression and a generous acidic kick are now over. Except for the dry wines, we would definitely recommend keeping your hands off any bottle in your cellar and possibly buying more wines from this vintage on the market as these are true gems in the making." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015 |
|
