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Wine Review

Loosen Mosel Riesling 2006 With Ridge 2005 Zinfandels

By Raymond Chan
Our fascination for Mosel Riesling grows, and the wines from Dr Erni Loosen remain high on our list of priorities to examine, as they are an excellent representation of the best wines of the region. The 2006 vintage has turned out to be a good one, the sixth in a row since the rain-affected 2000 harvest. 2001, 2002 and 2005 are now regarded as outstanding years, whereas 2003 an exceptionally ‘odd’ year by way of it being the hottest, and driest vintage in living memory. The 2004s are classical, as are the 2006s, which were picked very early and very quickly. Botrytis played a significant part in the harvest, and the vintage, though small has produced very good wines.

This tasting took tasters through the different pradikat levels from Kabinett to Spatlese to Auslese, comparing the wines from the villages of Wehlen, Erden and Urzig. Each of the villages produces wines that possess a distinctive style and it was the aim of the tasting to see if these characteristics were expressed consistently over the different pradikats. We tasted wines from the following villages and sites:

Wehlener Sonnenuhr (Sundial of Wehlen): A steep, rocky vineyard with blue-grey slate, producing very elegant wines with crisp acidity, delicacy and minerality

Urziger Wurzgarten (Spice Garden of Urzig): Amphitheatre vineyard with weathered red volcanic and slate soil. Loosen’s oldest vines are here. Wines of exotic spiciness and earthiness, tropical fruit flavours, broad, weighty and warm.

Erdener Treppchen (Little Staircase of Erden): Very steep vineryard with stone steps cut into the hillside. Red slate soil. Muscular, complex wines with intense minerality, exotic and creamy.

Erdener Pralat (Bishop of Erden): South-facing vineyard lies between the heat retaining cliffs and the river, with red slate soils; a very warm microclimate. The site ensures exceptional ripeness. Wines of power, intense concentration and finesse.

Following are my notes on the wines, served blind, in flights of their pradikat levels:

Pre-Taster


Introductory wine that has given very good value in previous years.

Loosen ‘Dr L.’ Riesling 2006
8.5% alc. Pale straw yellow with green hues. Fresh nose with limes, florals and minerals, good depth and firmness. Dryish palate, a little SO2, minerals and apples, quite tight and an austerity with a steely, crispness. Not quite the fruit richness nor the soft textures as expected. But classic Mosel style and a good introduction. 16.5+/20

Flight One: Kabinett


A flight of three classical Rieslings, all showing some austerity and firmness from the acidity. All will need another 1-2 years to open up, and all will keep well for another 5-6 years.

Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett 2006
8.0% alc. Pale straw yellow with a pale edge. Fullish nose, quite tight and not that expressive. Good weight and depth of ripe fruits, tropical aromas. Slightly sweet, this has firmness and good body.
There is weight and depth, with good, crisp, zingy acidity. Good presence and length. Easily the most preferred of the flight by the tasters. My score 17.5+/20

Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 2006
7.5% alc. Pale straw yellow with a pale edge, green hues to the colour. Very fine, very tight, minerally nose, fresh and slatey, excellent depth and cut to the bouquet. Off dry, this is tight, lean and minerally on palate with crisp racy acidity.. Less weighty than the previous wine, there is good floral and slate lift on the finish. Good length. However the least preferred of the flight by the tasters. My score 17.0/20

Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett 2006
7.5% alc. Very pale straw yellow with green hues. Very fine and tight on nose, but with attractive aromatics of florals and zest along with minerals. Slightly sweet, there is an esters lift of florals and spices. This has some weight and depth, though the fruit expression is a little linear at present. Good acidity, but the wine has a roundness of texture. Good length. The second preferred of the flight for the group of tasters. My score 17.0-/20

Flight Two: Spatlese


A flight that demonstrated similar backwards characters as the Kabinett wines. Similarly, they need time to develop fuller fruit expression and interest. More weight, depth and richness than the Kabinetts as they should have, but essentially on the leaner side at this youthful stage. The Erdener wine quite brilliant really.

Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese 2006
7.0% alc. Brilliant straw yellow with light golden hues and some green glints. Beautifully exotic on the nose with florals, tropical fruits, minerals, honey and creaming soda aromas. Slightly sweet, this has superb exotic and tropical fruit flavours with spices, guava and melons. Real richness, but balanced by fine, crisp acidity. Very fine and very long. Easily the most preferred of the flight for the tasters. My score 19.0/20

Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese 2006
7.5% alc. Pale straw yellow with a pale edge. Very tight, steely nose with minerals, fresh and cutting, some SO2 showing. Slightly sweet, the fruit is not as expressive, the sulphur hiding the fruit a little. Good weight and softish, the mineral and tropical fruit is gentle and a little understated. Needs time to blossom. The second preferred of the flight for the tasters. My score 17.5-/20

Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese 2006
8.0% alc. Straw yellow with some depth, pale edge. High toned minerals, florals and zest aromas, real depth and power, with tropical fruit nuances. Slightly sweet, this is more minerally on the palate, with slate characters showing. Pronounced acidity, steely and crisp, this is a little lean and tightly bound. This has considerable potential to develop well. However, the least preferred of the flight for the group of tasters. My score 17.5+/20

Flight Three: Auslese and Auslese ‘Goldcap’


Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese 2006
7.0% alc. Pale straw yellow colour with light golden hues. Tropical fruit aromas with soft talc botrytis hinted. A little linear in expression, fullish, and some SO2 hiding the fruit aromatics. Sweeter wine, good richness with honey, spices and earthiness. Quite solid and full, with good depth, some talc botrytis adding interest. Softer acidity, and with good length. Typical Auslese that will put on weight and richness. The third preferred of the flight by the group of tasters. My score 18.5+/20

Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese ‘Goldcap’ 2006
7.0% alc. Pale straw yellow with some golden hues. Richer, honied, marmalade nose, elegant and with restraint, but intense. Ve
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DAVID

Easter weekend I flew up to Auckland and had a great time visiting family. I made sure I went to Maison Vauron, a must if you enjoy French wines and also Galbraiths to try a few craft beers.

RICHARD

Roast Chicken for dinner evidently. Which Kumeu River Chardy shall I choose?
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