Location and History
The winery Dr. Loosen is located at St. Johannishof in Bernkastel-Kues in the wine-growing region Mosel in Germany. The estate has been owned by the Loosen family for more than 200 years. Ernst Loosen took over the winery in 1988; since 1993 it has been a member of the VDP.
Vines and Vineyards
The vineyard area comprises about 92.90 hectares and is planted to around 98 percent Riesling and 2 percent Weissburgunder. The inventory includes old, ungrafted vines. In Erdener Prälat there are vines that are up to 120 years old; some of the best sites contain vines with an age of up to 150 years.
Sites and Soils
The vineyards lie on steep slopes facing south. The cool conditions allow slow ripening and the preservation of acidity. Graacher Domprobst is very steep, oriented towards south-southwest, and is topographically protected from wind and frost. Erdener Prälat lies between the Mosel and warm-storing slate formations. Blue and red slate, as well as red volcanic rock, are documented.
Wine Style and Maturation
The winery produces Rieslings in the styles dry, off-dry (fineherb), Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese. For the dry Rieslings VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS, healthy grapes from the best parcels of the VDP.GROSSE-LAGE vineyards are selected and hand-picked; yields are limited to at most 50 hectolitres per hectare. The wines ferment spontaneously in used oak foudre casks with 1,000 to 3,000 litres and mature for at least twelve months on full lees without bâtonnage. Riesling finesse, elegance, freshness and the expression of the site are at the centre of this.
