2020 Weingut Dr. Loosen, Riesling Trocken, Ürziger Würzgarten VDP Grosse Gewächs, Alte Reben, Mosel, Germany.
Following the outstanding 2015 Reserve Ürziger Würzgarten GG I had recently, this gorgeous 2020 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten GG dry Riesling showed brilliantly in a Riesling tasting this month with lovely, distinctive and expressive terroir driven character shinning through from start to finish. Slatey mineral tones, crisp acidity and some exotic spices adds to the core of zesty citrus, white peach and tart green apple fruits, along with saline infused wet flint, rosewater, a touch of almond and tropical essences, that provides this wine with an extra degree of complexity. This GG is bone dry, but still wonderfully generous on the medium bodied palate and gains textural substance with air, having a presence in the glass that is very serious like a Grand Cru Chablis. Grosses Gewächs (GG) means “great growth” and is the designation for an estate’s best dry wine from a Grosse Lage (grand cru) vineyard. This Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling GG is, as the winery notes, from a special parcel of old vines (“Alte Reben”) that lies directly behind the village and is still referred to by its historical name, Urglück, these vines are about 120 years old and are sustainably farmed to allow for concentration, transparency and crystalline purity.
The Ürziger Würzgarten, the “Spice Garden” Grosses Gewachs wine sees the exclusive use of un-grafted historic old vines, from which Loosen produces this great Riesling, they are up to 120 years old and located in a plots which rise up from behind the Village in the heart of the Würzgarten and set on this vineyard’s famous red volcanic veined soils, sandstone and weathered slate, that gives this wine its distinctive delicate aromas, generous fruit and exotic spices. As mentioned often, legendary Ernst Loosen, who took control of his family’s over 200 hundred year old Mosel estate in 1988, with incredible steep slate vineyards of un-grafted old Riesling vines, makes an incredible collection of traditional wines from Kabinett to Auslese, as well as his Dry offerings, like this one, from some of the Mosel’s most coveted sites. The Grand Cru GG’s are fermented with indigenous yeasts in traditional 1,000-liter Fuder casks and are matured on the full lees for 12 months with no bâtonnage, making for expressive, stylish and profound wines, with this Dry Ürziger Würzgarten GG being one of my absolute favorites. Again, there is a lot to like here and these 2020s are brilliant wines and this wine in particular will be very rewarding for many years to come, I highly recommend exploring the whole set of offerings from Dr. Loosen, they are impeccably crafted and offer tons of personality and value across the board.
($50 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive