Interview with Ernst Loosen before Prowein 2015 / Riesling king Ernst Loosen has worked wonders for the image and sales of German wines since taking over family estate Weingut Dr Loosen in the Mosel three decades ago. In a recent interview in WineSearcher, he said: “I am not against classification, but we don’t make it simple for the consumer” At the same time, he announced that he would launch two new Grosses Gewächs Riesling wines. To separate these wines from his normal Grosses Gewächs wines, Ernst Loosen has added the term “Reserve” to highlight their extended barrel aging.
Grosses Gewächs Riesling Reserve…Don’t that make it even more complicated to the consumers?
Ernst Loosen: “Our Grosses Gewächs Reserve wines are bringing back the true origins of dry Riesling in Germany. The release of these Grosses Gewächs Riesling Reserve wines culminates my 25-year search to find the most precise expression of dry Riesling and its terroir. Why did I separate them from the traditional Grosses Gewächs? Simply because I think we have reached a certain point when Grosses Gewächs Riesling wines show vintage différences but not quality différences anymore. Reserve is not adding a layer to the Grosses Gewächs, it is just taking the quality of the Grosses Gewächs to the next level by returning to the traditions of my great grandfather who produced exclusively dry Riesling from our best vineyards and aged them for 24 to 36 months in large oak Fuder barrels. It’s back to the Future! With the Grosses Gewächs Riesling Reserve, I feel we are now at the level of excellence I have been striving for over the last 25 years.”
How did it come to your mind to bring these wines back to the market?
Ernst Loosen: “Our Dr. L Riesling brand has been instrumental in introducing a new generation to the Riesling grape. Could you believe it or not (I still can’t myself !) Dr Loosen wines are sold in more than 90 countries in the world. It is now the right time to show the wine world that a dry Riesling from Grosse Lagen (Grand Cru) vineyards can make its name among the best wines in the world. One night I had a dream: a dry german riesling at the top of the palmares of the best german rieslings. Better than any Trockenbeerenauslese. Why can’t a dry german riesling have 100 points when so many sweet rieslings every year crown the palmares of the german Riesling wines. Isn’t it a lack of respect to what we are doing here in Germany or is it just that dry rieslings are not at the level they should be?”
What makes these wines so special?
Ernst Loosen: “To produce the Grosses Gewächs Riesling Reserve wines, I looked for the most traditional way of making great dry Riesling. The use of Riesling grapes from Grosse Lagen parcels, fermentation using only indigenous yeasts and aging in large old oak Fuder barrels on the full lees with no batonnage, has proven to be a winning combination. For the 2011 vintage, parcels of 100-year-old Riesling vines with original rootstocks from the Ürziger Würzgarten and Erdener Prälat vineyards were aged on their lees for 24 to 36 months in 1,000-liter Fuder barrels. Due to the outstanding results, the 24-month method of aging has been expanded to another Grand Cru vineyard for the 2012 vintage, which brings the total of Reserve Riesling to three for the 2012 vintage: Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Ürziger Würzgarten, and Erdener Prälat. And as I experienced that one year of aging in bottle had given even more elegance and charm to the 2011 Grosses Gewächs Riesling Reserve wines, all the Reserve Riesling will also be aged one year in bottle before release.”
Watch the Video: Ernst Loosen’s Quest for Dry Rieslings
Dr Loosen will attend Prowein on March 15-17th, 2014 (Hall 16 Stnd H61)
