2002 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese #35

Dr. Loosen is a 200-year-old estate in Mosel, Germany. Ernest Loosen took over the family estate in 1988 and has continued to improve the already noteworthy Rieslings made at Dr. Loosen. The estate includes six Grand Cru vineyards and produces white wines that range from sweet to dry. Gault Millau annual guide to German wines named Ernest Loosen German winemaker of the year in 2001. Wine writer Jancis Robinson has written that “Ernie Loosen has single-handedly put German wine on the world stage and into the 21st century. He has done it by a mixture of irreverence, tireless traveling and an uncompromising quest for quality.”

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer is Germany’s most prestigious wine region and it is comprised of the vineyards surrounding the Mosel River and its tributaries, the Saar and Ruwer. This region is the northernmost of Germany’s primary viticultural areas, located on the western edge of Germany just above the northeast corner of France. Internationally Mosel Rieslings are considered among the finest white wines in the world. In Germany and elsewhere, the region’s name is often shortened simply to Mosel, and in fact since 2007 Mosel has been the formal name of the region for viticultural purposes. The references to Saar and Ruwer were dropped for ease of marketing. The distinctively crisp, mineral tasting, acidic Rieslings produced in Mosel are attributed partly to the region’s slate soils and extremely vertiginous vineyards. Many vineyards are on 60 to 80 percent cent inclines along the three rivers. Riesling grapes represent more than half of all the grapes grown in Mosel, followed by Muller-Thurgau, a white wine grape related to Riesling, and Elbling, an indigenous white wine grape often used for sparkling wines.

This white variety originated in Germany. It’s known for its strong flowery aromas and high acidity. Please note Rieslings can have dramatic differences as the grape can be used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling wines.