Dr. Loosen: The Muscular Global Empire of Mosel Riesling
Dr. Loosen: What do Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sesame Street have in common? Hint: Ernst Loosen, not Kindergarten Cop...
An owner whose name is as ubiquitous throughout the world as the Terminator, also has a softer side, crafting wine's gateway drug as a duo named Erni and Berni.
Got your attention, didn’t I? Before we start this post, I think it’s appropriate that we set a benchmark to align our perspectives, so that we know we have similar taste sensitivities and, maybe even, share the same preferences. Why does it matter? Let’s say you LOVED big, meaty, rare steaks, but I was more of a vegan tofu kind of person; I might not want to try your favorite restaurant, “Sven’s Bloody Moo.” In the same vein, if I love big brawny men, eg, Michael B Jordan, and you like more cerebral types like John David Washington, we might not cross over on Donald Glover, but maybe we would find common ground with the overall grace and beauty of Mahershala Ali? Getting the picture, or shall I keep going?
The point is, you have to trust my judgment, and we have to have a mutual understanding of values for this publication to be useful for you. To that end, can we agree that Ernst Loosen and Arnold Schwarzenegger look alike? Maybe it’s their jawline or Teutonic ancestry, or that they are aging gracefully. Or maybe we can agree it’s just their smiles? We’re on the same page, right?
They look alike! And they're both household names! Source: The Internet
If you don’t agree with the physical similarities, think about this: In 1984, Arnold became a household name globally when he accepted the role as the Terminator in the eponymously named movie. His character was a brawny and unstoppable assassin. In the same decade, 1988, Dr. Ernst Loosen took control of his family’s wine estate, elevated its quality, and with his dazzling personality, made its wines, all Rieslings, a household name globally. His wines are often described as muscular and powerful, with an acidity that cuts through fatty foods like a shotgun. The mid palate is ripe and energetic, and the finish returns with a vengeance as if to say, “I’ll be back.”
Yet, like the Kindergarten Cop, Erni (Ernst) Loosen has a softer side. Since 1988, he’s been collaborating with his long-time cellar master, Berni (Bernhard) Schug. Though the partnership between Berni and Erni, sounds innocently like two TV show muppets, it has catapulted the brand Dr. Loosen to new heights of celebrity, especially in the US, by providing a broad selection of very high-quality styles from ultra-dry to TBA level Rieslings, at affordable prices. In other words, these two have been crafting wine’s gateway drug since 1988.
In Germany, everyone has a good work ethic, even the vines.
Source: Coppiera Travel Archives
VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING
“If Riesling is planted in a more hospitable region, it would get lazy and produce fat, tasteless grapes. Here in Germany, we plant them on steep slopes where the vine has to struggle and work. Then it produces magic,” says my charming tasting room attendant. He isn’t wrong; the wines we tasted certainly had an unmistakable allure.
At Dr. Loosen, one of the tasting options is to sample different wines produced from vines grown on different soil types. We’ll go into this in much more detail in a separate post on Mosel soil types but suffice it to say, there are three primary ones: Blue, Grey, Red Devonian Slate. The slate soils amplify the sunlight during the say and retain heat in the cooler evenings. This allows the grapes to ripen slowly and in a more unified manner. Slate soils are also one of the soil types where phylloxera cannot thrive. Thus, in some of his best sites, Dr. Loosen has ungrafted 130-year-old vines which have survived on their original rootstocks.
Due to the broad range of styles Dr. Loosen produces, we cannot cover all the stylistic permutations. However, Erni & Berni strive for purity and quality to reflect the provenance of the wines they craft. They pick the grapes when their ripeness reaches its zenith. Some wines do not see any oak, but many are aged in large, 1,000 liter oak fuders, affectionately called Mosel fuders.
Inside the tasting room at Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues.
Source: Coppiera Travel Archives
HOSPITALITY
The most prominent feature of the Dr. Loosen tasting room is a leather saddle from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, a prize for having won the Top White Wine of 2018. While the US may be the largest market for these wines, and they have truly trickled down to even the smallest markets, Dr. Loosen’s Rieslings are globally recognized. More than 90% of production is exported to 94 different countries. The saddle honors how far these wines have traveled from the sometimes cloudy Bernkastel-Kues to exotic Bangkok or chilly Montreal and even freedom loving Houston.
Want to try other wine projects by Ernst Loosen? Try Villa Wolf (Pfaltz, Germany), Perron de Mypont (Burgundy, France), Appassionata & J. Christopher (Willamette, Oregon), Ernst Vineyards (Sonoma Coast, California), Eroica (Columbia Valley, Washington)
Wehlener Sonnenuhr is recognized as one of the 10 Greatest Vineyards in the World, “[It] is the model for the elegance and refinement that defines Mosel Riesling,” Erni Loosen. Source: Coppiera Travel Archives
TASTING
- 2023 Dr. Loosen Blauschiefer Riesling trocken - light aromas of white flower, citrus, not high on the overall intensity but enjoyable to sip and not think about; tart acid, classic expectation; Germans call it “terrace wine” we call it “porch pounder”
- 2023 Dr. Loosen Graacher Riesling - lemon oil, medium aromatic intensity, touch of pithe on nose, touch of ripe texture, pop of angular acidity, feels classic this angular acidity (not creamy, do they block MLF?) - “old techniques”
- **2023 Dr. Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Grosses Gewachs - bay leaf, citrus oil, lithe intensity, warm orange blossom, lots of florality, very pleasant chalky texture, mineral-led finish; does pressing help give this texture?
- **2023 Dr. Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Grosses Gewächs Alte Reben Mosel (80yr old vines, red slate soils) - licorice, blood orange, not floral, peach, powerful and intensely textured, full bodied, integrated acid, modest abv, delicious!
- **2023 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Grosses Gewächs Alte Reben Mosel (volcanic soil) - intense nose, peach, tangerine, hint of kerosene, higher abv; lovely complexity from citrusy acid to anise spice, crowned by lush ripeness and long finish
- 2020 Dr. Loosen Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Tradition Feinherb - tropical, entry aroma - petrol/anise, striking concentration (not expected of Feinherb), acid creates illusion of abv burn, blood orange, candied, 20 g/l RS well integrated and not perceived as too sweet
- **2023 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - orange blossom, petrol, sherbet, pop of sweetness, tart acid, very pleasant in the mouth, complexity on finish - a hint of bitter dried herbs
One more comparison before you go.... Source: The Internet
