Stephan Reinhardt from the Wine Advocate reviews the Dr Loosen 2019 Vintage at www.robertparker.com
"2019 was a great year," said Ernst Loosen, whom everyone just calls Ernie. Although the quantity is small at 60 hectoliters per hectare on average—around 23% below the long-term average. "At the end of the harvest, it became spongy, there was rain and unattractive, washed out botrytis. Only the early botrytis was nice," he said. However, botrytis is used exclusively for sweet predicates. The dry Rieslings, on the other hand, are more oriented toward the Wachau Smaragd wines, as they were produced at the end of the 1980s, when they had rarely more than 12.5% alcohol. "Twelve percent or a maximum of 12.5% alcohol fits best with Riesling; beyond that level they become too heavy, too ponderous," said Loosen, who even prefers his village wines to be 11% alcohol instead of 12%.
Loosen describes the pronounced acidities of the 2019s as "crisp," and they are between 7.5 and eight grams per liter. As his Grosses Gewächs Rieslings are still on the lees, and will be until October, it will be even better integrated by the release month of November than in the samples I tasted in April. But even in the spring, the 2019 GGs already showed inimitable raciness and precision.
The harvest in 2019 started early with negative pre-selections, so that only healthy grapes remained on the vines. Especially for Kabinett, Loosen strives for lightness, crisp freshness and savory characteris, as is typical for the Wachau Federspiel. "More than 83° Oechsle, a maximum of 85° Oechsle, should therefore not be accepted for Kabinett grapes, otherwise no real Kabinett will come out of it. But it is precisely this type that is most in demand in export markets," said Loosen. "So, we have to go into the vineyards early and pick only clean and healthy grapes." Even the Spätlese should not be harvested too ripe and should only be based on healthy grapes so that they are juicy but remain light-footed, supported by a mineral acidity.
Also, for the GGs, only healthy but now fully ripe grapes with must weights of up to 95° Oechsle are considered. The 2019s were all harvested in the last three weeks of October, from the ungrafted plants of the Wehlener Sonnenuhr, for example, with minimum yields of six to seven hectoliters per hectare. The higher 2019 Prädikat wines from Spätlese upward are highly digestible and fruity wines from overripe also green berries. "Since we cultivate 10 'grand cru' sites and want to harvest all of them optimally, we are only at the race in autumn—that's a real challenge!"
Apparently, not enough, though, because this year, 2020, an 11th top vineyard was added—the Bremmer Calmont. Bel Calda is the name of the monopole plot, which is a scarce hectare of ungrafted vines that were planted at the end of World War II. The Calmont is probably the steepest vineyard in Europe and is excellently represented only by Kilian and Angelina Franzen in Bremm thus far. We can be curious, especially since Loosen has been playing with his GGs in the front row for a few years now, also with the 2019s again. Loosen was able to produce all predicates in 2019, even a Long Gold Capsule in the Erdener Prälat. "The botrytis was perfect last year," Loosen enthuses. I still have to taste the results, though. The full report will follow shortly.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Bernkasteler Johannisbrünnchen Riesling trocken GG
Rating: (92 - 93)
The 2019 Bernkasteler Johannisbrünnchen Riesling trocken GG is pure, bright, fresh and intense on the floral and herbal-scented nose. Lush and juicy on the palate, this is a lean, tight and firmly structured Riesling with some bitters on the finish. A funny combination of rich juice and a fresh, piquant, even tight structure. This is not fine but interesting. Tasted as a sample in April 2020.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett
Rating: (88 - 89)
The sample of the 2019 Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett is sweet, juicy and pretty generous but still delicate and light on the palate.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Bernkasteler Lay Riesling trocken GG
Rating: (92 - 94)
The 2019 Bernkasteler Lay Riesling trocken GG is ripe and intense on the concentrated nose that is reminiscent of lime juice and crushed stones. Round and juicy on the palate, this is a charming but complex and sustainable Riesling with power and intensity but still a lack of finesse and elegance. Like Wittmann's Morstein, this Lay is still cloudy in taste butpretty impressive in its structure, and it is pretty greenish and harsh on the finish. Needs time. Tasted as a sample in April in 2020.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett
Rating: (92 - 93) View our Tasting Note here
The 2019 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett is pure, crystal clear and flinty on the nose, displaying bright Riesling fruit with delicate notes of crushed blue slate. Juicy and salty-piquant on the palate, this is a stimulatingly salty, intense and hedonistic Kabinett with a lively and frisky finish. Tasted as a sample in April 2020.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Erdener Treppchen Riesling trocken GG Alte Reben
Rating: (92 - 93)+?
The 2019 Erdener Treppchen Riesling trocken GG Alte Reben is bright, fresh and flinty on the deep, precise and refreshing nose. This is an attractive, well-structured Treppchen that is racy and vital on the first attack but not very intense or dense on the mid-palate. Tasted from a very generously sulfured sample in April 2020.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Graacher Domprobst Riesling trocken GG
Rating: (92 - 94)
The 2019 Graacher Domprobst Riesling trocken GG is pure, lean and fresh on the stony and citrus-scented nose. On the palate, this is a tight and fresh Domprobst that is still linear and straight but not very sexy. It is crystalline and elegant, fine and intense but doesn't have the dimensions of the Würzgarten or the Sonnenuhr. The finish is quite floral. Tasted as a sample in April 2020.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Graacher Himmelreich Riesling trocken GG Alte Reben
Rating: (92 - 95)
The 2019 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling trocken GG Alte Reben is bright, coolish and flinty on the thrilling nose. Intense and concentrated on the palate, this is a rich, juicy and compact GG from the Himmelreich, but it is not really singing just now. The acidity is playful, but the wine seems quite mighty at this early stage—six months before the bottling. The finish is pure and salty but also creamy. Provisional score. Tasted as a sample in April 2020.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Graacher Riesling Trocken
Rating: (90 - 92)
The 2019 Graacher Riesling Trocken is deep and flinty on the coolish, stony, pure and terroir-driven nose that is crunchy and even herbal. Medium-bodied and juicy on the palate, this dry Riesling is still a bit ascetic yet Graach-typical and in the lean and elegant style. The fruit is well-concentrated and stimulatingly ripe, and the finish is crystalline and elegant, in good harmony. Very good indeed.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling trocken GG
Rating: (91 - 92)
The 2019 Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling trocken GG offers ripe, white fruit with delicate flinty notes on the nose. Light but intense and juicy, with a good structure but rather unspectacular finish, this is a good but not exciting dry Mosel Riesling. The finish is fresh and piquant, revealing good grip and floral (or Gewurztraminer-like) aromas. Tasted as a sample in April 2020.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Riesling Trocken
Rating: (88 - 89)
The 2019 Riesling Trocken is bright, clear, fresh and flinty yet still reductive on the nose. Round and delicate on the palate, this is a light and filligred dry Riesling with juicy fruit and an attractively grippy finish. Excellent. Tasted as a sample in April 2020.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Riesling Trocken Blauschiefer (a.k.a. Blue Slate Dry)
Rating: (91 - 92)
Tasted as a sample in April, the 2019 Riesling Trocken Blauschiefer (a.k.a. Blue Slate Dry) is a superbly bright and shining picture-book Mosel Riesling. Intensely aromatic but coolish and slatey on the flinty nose, this is a round, floral, very delicate and filigreed Riesling with great charm and finesse and a highly stimulating, salty-crystalline finish. Rack it, Erni Loosen, we want to drink it immediately.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Riesling Trocken Rotschiefer (a.k.a. Red Slate Dry)
Rating: (90 - 91) View our Tasting Note here
Tasted as a sample in April 2020, the 2019 Riesling Trocken Rotschiefer (a.k.a. Red Slate Dry) is intense and concentrated yet pure and fresh on the intensely fruity and slatey but still yeasty nose. Medium-bodied, creamy textured and charming, it is round and clear on the elegant and juicy palate, with tropical flavors. And for the moment, it is still rich yet refined and elegant, with mouthwatering salinity on the finish.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Riesling Trocken Satyricus
Rating: 86
The 2019 Riesling Trocken Satyricus is a very aromatic, dry and slatey wine with low alcohol and, obviously, a lot of lees management to give the impression of complexity. In fact, this is a charming, round, juicy and very aromatic Riesling for beginners. The finish is stimulating. Tasted as a sample in April 2020.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Riesling feinherb
Rating: 90
The 2019 Riesling feinherb is coolish, pure and fresh on the delicate and seductive nose. Round and piquant on the palate, this is a light, charming, floral, bright and fruity Riesling in the traditional off-dry style. Highly digestible even as a sample, I can't resist it. This feinherb Riesling even reminds me of Dönnhoff's Leistenberg Kabinett. Tasted in April 2020.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Riesling feinherb Grauschiefer
Rating: (87 - 89)
Loosen's 2019 Riesling feinherb Grauschiefer offers an intense but bright and elegant bouquet of crushed stones and healthy ripe fruits. It is pure and creamy on the palate, and for the moment, this is the less-exciting feinherb Riesling compared the regular estate wine. It is rather mild and lacks the sprit. Tasted as a sample in April 2020.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Riesling trocken Knochentrocken
Rating: 87
Loosen's bone-dry 2019 Riesling trocken Knochentrocken is bright, fresh and flinty on the delicate and floral-scented nose. Juicy and round on the palate, this is a well-balanced and stimulating Riesling with stimulating slate flavors. It's an easy-drinking Riesling but with character. Tasted as a sample in April 2020.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett
Rating: (91 - 93) View our Tasting Note here
The 2019 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett is very clear, fine and subtle on the fresh and reductive nose. Round and piquant as well as light on the palate, this is Kabinett is quite sweet but clear and salty, with a filigreed structure, juicy fruit and a grippy finish. This is an excellent Kabinett, but it needs to age least 5 years to reduce its sweetness. Tasted as a sample in April 2020.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling trocken GG Alte Reben
Rating: (95 - 96)
The 2019 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling trocken GG Alte Reben is pure, fresh and flinty on the bright and refreshing nose. Tight and piquant on the palate, this is an intense, complex and sustainable Riesling full of tension, finesse and grip. Impressive again and with a lot of energy. You can enjoy it even today! Tasted as a sample in April 2020.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Weissburgunder
Rating: (88 - 90)
Loosen's 2019 Weissburgunder was still cloudy and primary fruity when I met the sample in April this year. However, the wine was pure, fresh and slatey, very elegant and juicy on the palate, with perfect roundness and charm. I easily could have taken it as a mild Riesling: this linear Pinot Blanc is fresh and focused and doesn't reveal any oak influence, showing only spring-like freshness. This is promising and definitely more Mosel than Pinot Blanc.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett
Rating: (90 - 92) View our Tasting Note here
The sample of the 2019 Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett is still very reductive on the bright and floral nose. Juicy and round on the palate, this is a salty-piquant and stimulating Kabinett with good freshness and tension. Tasted in April 2020.
2019 Dr. Loosen • Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling trocken GG Alte Reben
Rating: (93 - 95) View our Tasting Note here
The 2019 Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling trocken GG Alte Reben is bright, fine and aromatic on the generous but precise, flinty, elegant and complex nose. Juicy, piquant and intense on the palate, this is a complex, persistent, tight and sustainable Riesling with remarkable complexity and grip. Tasted as a sample in April 2020.