Editors notes
The Grosses Gewächs Reserve wines are selectively harvested from the finest parcels of very old, ungrafted vines. They are naturally fermented in the same way as the GGs but stay for 24 months on the full lees in traditional Fuder casks. They are then held in bottle for a further 24 months before release. This extended maturation brings an extra dimension of finesse and balance to our wines. We produce Grosses Gewächs Reserve from three grand cru vineyards with three different terroirs: Wehlener Sonnenuhr (blue slate); Ürziger Würzgarten (red volcanic soil); and Erdener Prälat (red slate).
Wehlener Sonnenuhr - The Sundial of Wehlen - is one of the greatest vineyards in the Middle Mosel. This precipitously steep, rocky vineyard consistently yields some of the most elegant and sophisticated white wines in the world. Citrus and white peach flavours predominate when the wines are young, turning to a pure expression of the mineral soil as they age.
Details
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Light (Light)Full (Full)
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Low Tannin (Low Tannin)Tannic (Tannic)
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- Lemon
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- Chalk
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- Lemon
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Critic Scores & reviews
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Stuart Pigott
97""Super elegant and refined with great herbal delicacy, this is as graceful as dry Mosel Riesling gets. Buy it also has deep slate foundations that give it imposing presence. I love the laser-beam, straight finish that shoots out in the direction of infinity. Drink or hold. 97 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com July 2021""
Other vintages
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Locations
Germany
Germany is fully capable of producing some of the world's great white wines. One hundred years ago the demand for and thus prices commanded for the wines from the finest vineyards in Piesport, Morcobrunn and Rudesheim rivalled the best wines from Bordeaux. Largely due to the lack of government regulation into the quality of wine output, Germany over the past century became known for producing sweet sugar-water wines at cheap costs, flooding the world market. This has had a negative effect on the perception of German wines worldwide, but rest assured we only choose to stock German wines of high quality.
The Riesling grape with all its versatility is the main grape variety, and whilst many countries make Riesling, none can match the mouth-watering freshness and supreme delicacy achieved in a Mosel Kabinett from a top producer. Germany's dry Rieslings as a rule tend to be very graceful and elegant as compared to Rieslings from other countries, with an emphasis on finesse, not power. Standout producers such as Robert Weil make the headlines, but Donnhoff, JL Wolf, A Christmann and Dr Loosen are too worth seeking out.
Another most interesting contribution from Germany was Eiswine (ice wine), which until the 1970s was a freak of nature, though is now carefully managed. To produce Eiswine, parcels of vines are left out exposed to the frost, and although the production cost is astronomical they remain very popular. Robust Pinot Blancs and Pinot Gris are also produced in the whites and Pinot Noir, referred to as Spätburgunder is also grown.
The climate in Germany is, for the most part, cool, the exception being in the Pfalz and in Baden. As a result, vineyards are carefully selected with good sunlight exposure a must. For example along the banks of the Mosel River, vines are only planted on one side, as there isn't enough sunlight exposure to ripen grapes on the north-facing side.
Key regions include Mosel and Nahe where extraordinary Rieslings are produced.
Mosel
Mosel to make it a name considered more consumer-friendly. Mosel is one of 13 wine-growing regions in Germany and is located in the South-Eastern corner of the country along the Mosel River, from which the area was named.
Along with most of Germany, the region has a northern continental climate, so the key here is to get as much sun exposure on to the vines, else they won't ripen. For this reason, grapes are grown only on certain slopes along the Mosel river, as across the river on the other side, there is simply not enough sunlight for the grapes to grow. The steep slopes along the Mosel River makes some of the vineyards the most labour intensive in the world. No machines can be used on the steep slopes that are so dangerous they have claimed the lives of some vineyard workers.
The wines from the upper Mosel are characterised by low alcohol levels (6-9%). Wines of middle Mosel are some of the finest examples in all of Germany, perfectly balanced and poised. Top wines are known to comfortably cellar for 50 or even 100 years!
Most all Mosel wines are packaged in green 'Hock' style bottles and a key characteristic of all Mosel wines is their normally high-acidity and clearly defined flavours. Riesling is the king of the Mosel region where anything from dry to delicious dessert wines are made.
About the brand Dr. Loosen
Situated on Germany’s Mosel River among some of the world’s most treasured vineyards, the Dr. Loosen estate has been in the same family for more than 200 years. When Ernst Loosen (pronounced LOH-zen) assumed ownership in 1988, he realized that, with ungrafted vines averaging 60 years old in some of Germany’s top-rated vineyards, he had the raw materials to create stunningly intense, world-class Rieslings. To achieve this, Ernst immediately changed the estate’s vineyard practices to dramatically reduce crop size. He stopped all chemical fertilization, preferring only moderate use of organic fertilizers and soil amendments. He extended his commitment to sustainable practices beyond the vineyards and into the winery, implementing improvements in materials recycling, energy efficiency and water conservation. At harvest, he insisted on fully mature fruit that had been very strictly selected. And he turned to gentler cellar practices that would allow the wine to develop its full potential with a minimum of technological meddling. Today, Dr. Loosen wines are widely enjoyed around the globe and continue to receive awards and accolades from top reviewers.
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