Riesling time with Dr. Loosen & Friends

Dr. Loosen Riesling is something I had heard about well before I arrived in the Mosel Valley for the 3rd Annual #Winelover Riesling Marathon, which incidentally just happened to coincide with the annual Mythos Mosel. When I discovered that our #winelover stops included a visit to Dr. Loosen's winery in Bernkastel I was most delighted. Moreover, we would not only got to taste Dr. Loosen vintage Riesling, but other amazing Mosel Valley wines.  Oh, yes! We would also meet Ernst Loosen.

Those Vintage Riesling Moments © Spaswinefood

Weingut Dr. Loosen is a family winery that has existed for over 200 years. Since 1988 Ernst Loosen, winemaker and owner, has managed the winery. Ernst, who was fascinated by the Roman ruins on the family estate, originally began his university studies in archeology. Later, his passion shifted to wine making, he then threw himself into studying oenology, and visiting wine regions around the world. His philosophy of wine making is a balance between old and new. Overall, he takes a minimalist intervention approach to wine making.

A Loosen Moment © Spaswinefood

We had come to Germany's Mosel Valley, one of the best places in the world for Riesling. The Mosel Valley is one of 13 German wine regions. While the Mosel wine region is fifth in size, it is the third largest in terms of wine production. The Mosel Valley is divided into three sections, Upper Mosel, Middle Mosel, and Lower Mosel. Mosel Valley's continental climate makes it ideal for growing Riesling, with over 60% of the vineyard space devoted to its production. White grape varieties planted account for over 90%, leaving less than 10% of the area for red grape varieties. Given that only one third of Mosel Riesling wines are exported our Mythos Mosel visit allowed us to appreciate the full range of Riesling wines produced here.

#Winelovers,  Dr. Loosen © Spaswinefood

Time for Dr. Loosen & Friends Riesling 
The first day of our Mythos Mosel wine tasting at Dr. Loosen winery we had a stand-up dinner, and tasted wines. Given some of these wines were vintage Rieslings we knew that we were in for a special evening.

An Evening at Dr. Loosen © Spaswinefood

Our evening began with a welcoming drink, an Ayala Champagne from the Ay region of Champagne.

A Champagne Ayala Welcome, Dr. Loosen © Spaswinefood

The following list of wines available for tasting that evening was impressive:

Wine List, Dr. Loosen Reception © Spaswinefood

Let's take a closer look at the Riesling wines shared.

Dr. Loosen & Friends © Spaswinefood

Dr. Loosen and Friends (Maximin Grünhaus, Forstmeister Gelte Zilliken, Ansgar Clüsserath, and Philipp Wittmann), all offered both young and vintage Rieslings for tasting. For now I will share Dr. Loosen's and Ansgar Clüsserath's vintage Rieslings.

Dr. Loosen, Ürziger Riesling Spätlese 1997 © Spaswinefood

Weingut Ansgar Clüsserath, Trittenheimer Apotheke, Riesling Auslese 1992

Weingut Ansgar Clüsserath, Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Auslese 1992 © Spaswinefood 

Trittenheimer Apotheke, Riesling Auslese 1992 © Spaswinefood 

Obviously, the vintage wines were quite a hit. For me, tasting vintage Riesling, and hanging out at Dr. Loosen was a pure delight. After all, we had come to explore Riesling at its best. We were not disappointed.

Mosel Mythos Riesling, Dr. Loosen © Spaswinefood

Needless to say, there were great discussions with fellow #winelovers about the wines that we were tasting.

Wine Conversations, Dr. Loosen © Spaswinefood

Besides fantastic wines, there was stand up dinner, catered by Kate & Kon.

Flying Dinner Menu, Kate & Kon © Spaswinefood

The great wines and delicious party food made it the perfect finale for our first Mythos Mosel day. Besides, being able to view Dr. Loosen's estate vineyard from the courtyard provided the perfect backdrop for a fabulous evening.

Loosen Estate Vineyard © Spaswinefood

Naturally my curious #winelover friends just had to check it out an installation in the courtyard.

Courtyard, Dr. Loosen © Spaswinefood

As the sun went down that late spring evening, it was time to savor those moments.

Sunset, Dr. Loosen © Spaswinefood

Savoring those Sunset Moments, Dr. Loosen © Spaswinefood

After a very rich Riesling filled evening it was time to head back to Staffelter Hof to rest for the next day.

Return to Dr. Loosen
We returned to Dr. Loosen winery the next day. When we returned out came Ernst Loosen to greet us. 

Meeting Up with Ernest Loosen © Spaswinefood

We were most fortunate to be greeted by Ernst at the winery.

Meeting Ernst Loosen © Spaswinefood

A #Winelover Moment, Dr. Loosen © Spaswinefood

Our #winelover friend and photographer extraordinaire, Bernado asked Ernst to pose with us. I know he captured some great images. Of course, it was also the perfect opportunity for me to capture some of those moments shared.

Capturing Those Moments, Dr. Loosen © Spaswinefood

Yes, perhaps a picture of the installation after a light rain was needed.

After the Spring Rain, Dr. Loosen © Spaswinefood

Our #winelover time at Dr. Loosen not only put me in touch with this well-known brand but I was also introduced to wines from Maximin Grünhaus, Forstmeister Gelte Zilliken, Ansgar Clüsserath, and Philipp Wittmann. 

Mythos Mosel Hangout © Spaswinefood

Indeed the opportunity to hangout with Dr. Loosen and Friends during the Mythos Mosel, was the perfect occasion to experience a wide range of Riesling wines. This post is part of a series on Spaswinefood’s travels in the Mosel Valley. I would like to thank Jan Matthias Klein for hosting and organizing this awesome #winelover event. I invite you to join me in my travels in the Mosel Valley, Germany and elsewhere at Spaswinefood.

Sharon

Mosel Valley, Germany

May 2018

© Spaswinefood

Dr. Loosen & Friends © Spaswinefood

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