About Dr. Loosen

This exceptional estate, which produces some of the purest and highest quality Rieslings in Germany, has been in the Loosen family for over two centuries. The most recent member of the family to take charge of the winery, Ernst Loosen, took over in 1988, leaving behind a promising career in archaeology to tend to the great vineyards of 120-year-old Rieslings that are his heritage. Having studied in the shadow of some of the world’s best winemakers in Austria, Alsace, Burgundy and California, Erni began his tenure at the estate with the motivation to modernize and streamline production, instituting organic agriculture in the vineyard, strict fruit selection and sorting processes and modernizing the aging winery.

The Dr. Loosen estate produces a wide range of wines from affordable estate Rieslings to a number of single-vineyard Grosses Gewächs (Grand Cru) wines from some the of the most prized parcels in the Mosel including the Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard, Ürziger Würzgarten, Graacher Himmelriech, Erdener Treppchen and Erdener Prälat.

A number of elements make these and the other great vineyards of the Mosel valley so exceptional – the climate, the soil and the age of the vines. Steep south-facing slopes create the perfect climate for the indigenous grape, Riesling, to grow and thrive in the low-lying northern sun. Generally cool conditions ensure that the grapes ripen slowly while retaining the bright acidity that great German Rieslings are so known for. The slate soil also plays an important role in what makes these vineyards special – the Mosel’s stony soil and rocky cliffs reflect sunlight and hold in heat, creating very warm microclimates in the best sites and helping to ensure excellent ripeness. Thin topsoil forces the vines to dig deep for water and nutrients, producing vibrant wines that capture the strong minerality of the region’s terroir. Finally, the old vines (over 70 years on average) which are all planted on original rootstock (phylloxera cannot survive in the Mosel allowing most of the region’s original vines to survive), naturally produce smaller yields, resulting in grapes that are highly concentrated and rich.

The wines of Erni Loosen represent some of the most consistently high-quality wines from the Mosel Valley. In recognition, Erni has received a great number of accolades including Gault & Millaut’s Winemaker of the Year, Decanter’s Man of the Year and one of the World’s 50 Most Influential Winemakers from Wine & Spirits magazine.