Tasting with Ernie Loosen

Ernie Loosen and company came by the Wine Exchange for a special tasting of his wines. After he took two cases of Burgundy to his car he came back in to chat with everyone while we tried his wines. The Wine Exchange even broke out a magnum of the 2005 Erdener Pralat Goldkapsel for the occasion. Ernie is very personable and eager to weigh in on some of the more controversial subjects in wine today.It was a very educational even where I learned a lot about the estate and the vineyards from Ernie and his work mate as well as the work he has put into Washington getting them up to speed. I should note that the single Pinot was featured because Loosen owns 50% of the label and 100% of the winery with J. Christopher. Ernie likes Burgundy and supports the Burgundian style that the maker is aiming for.

Ernie is excited about Washington for Riesling where he says he has found several sites that can produce world class Riesling. I asked if he thought they would be able to make top flight Riesling like the sweet examples from Germany and he seems to think so. He says that he could make some Kabinett style wines in some of the vineyards even today but since the project up there involves a large company that prefers marketable wines in larger production it would be hard today to prove that. He does hope to get some smaller project things going to make it a reality.

He also said that when he got to Washington to get the program growing up there that they were treating the Riesling just as they were the red grapes, restricting water and trying to pick fairly early. Ernie says the Riesling needs to hang on the vines for a much longer period in order to ripen properly. He says that when they ripen too fast you get the stronger petrol characters that can overwhelm the wine and put off people who are looking for a more fruit driven wine. He has implemented strategies in Washington to increase the hang time of the Riesling.

On the subject of corks versus screw caps he said that the 90's were the worst time for TCA infections in closures which was exacerbated by Germany being the step child in the cork supply hierarchy. In his view the top estates from France get the best corks and that Germany and Austria among others are on the bottom of the totem pole. He does admit that it takes a different sort of wine making to put wines under Stelvins as aromas from reduction can be exacerbated due to the lack of oxygen contact with smaller batch wines. The reduction in the German Rieslings is marked by a strong sulfur like aroma which should not be confused with sulfur itself. This would lend the screw caps to be better for blended wines as they will see more air before bottling versus the smaller lot wines that are made in a reductive environment for the most part. He also seemed to indicate that the screw caps will only extend the aging curve and not stop it due to less air flow versus none.

Ernie also relayed some anecdotes about the changing wine style preferences in Germany. He said that many years ago there was a switch where many in the press championed dry styled Rieslings and other white wines and so there was a generation that preferred these domestically. But now he sees their children showing a preference for the sweeter wines and poo-pooing the sour dry wines that their parents drank. This is interesting in the context of current blogging and writing in some circles about what is the true expression of Riesling. Let the debate rage on.

• 2009 J. Christopher Pinot Noir

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  Very floral nose but with ripe fruit. Clean with bright acidity and fruit that lingers into the finish. Notes of iron. A solid entry at the price point and should appeal to a wide variety of palates.

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• 2009 Dr. Loosen Riesling Red Slate

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Clean with an oily texture and quality. Slatey expression and weighty but there is little in the way of fruit expression leaning on secondary characters.

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• 2010 Loosen Bros. Riesling Dr. L

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Smells like lemon-lime soda. Very nice up front with just a touch of sweetness and tartness to keep it in check. A bit muddled towards the finish but damn nice for $10.

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• 2010 Dr. Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Screw cap. Very focused coming to a point on a straight line. Tight and tart at the finish but there is nice concentration of fruit with a touch of sweetness. Lingers on the palate for a while. Needs a bit of time but I like this.

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• 2010 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Screw cap. Very viscous looking. There is a bit of spritz on a very clean finish. Tight showing some tart golden apple notes. Fat fruited up fruit but with barely detectable sweetness. This could also use some unwinding.

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• 2009 Dr. Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Screw cap. Minerals on the nose. Quite reserved for an '09 and not showing the ripeness I've seen in other wines. This might have come at the cost of fruit concentration as the power is lacking in this in comparison to the '10. There is a nice note of minerals that makes this worthy though for an earlier drinker and the fruit is expressive even if it is a bit weaker. Very nice.

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• 2010 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Tight nose showing notes of peach nectar. There is a bit of effervescence on a nicely balanced palate. The acid picks up the sweetness nicely and gives a lingering green apple tartness. The sugar is not completely married to the fruit right now but in due time. Very good.

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• 2010 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Slate, minerals and golden apples on the nsoe. Very light feel on the palate as in almost weightless. It lingers even if it seems a bit disjointed right now. Lingering mineral notes make this worth while. Very pretty.

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• 2009 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Ripe fruited and juicy yet light weight. Lots of petroleum character on the palate and lacking some acidity.

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• 2009 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Effervescent and minerally nose. Very bright and tart. I liked this better than the Urziger but it also lacked in comparison to the '10.

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• 2005 Dr. Loosen Erdener Prälat Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Big, expressive nose showing like a more aged Riesling wine with notes of diesel, apples and minerals. Bright yet powerful, very expressive on the palate as well. Complex and just going on and on. Notes of peaches with pretty sweetness. Big today and gorgeous. Terrific.

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• 2008 Dr. Loosen Riesling Eiswein

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Tight initially, swirling seems to let loose pretty honeyed flower aromas. Sweet and dense but not overly sugary. There is tartness but it could still use some more acid. Could get better if the nose is any indication.

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