We aim to have all wines be vintage specific. In the case the listed vintage is out of stock and you note you would like that particular vintage, we will inform you via email for approval to go ahead.
twf93
The Wine Front – Fermented in stainless steel tanks, with long ageing on the fine less (2y), no batonnage then 2 years in bottle. Bone dry style. Mainly from red slate grand cru vineyards. Lime pie, lime curd. Lots of that ripe citrusy quality but with a dairy-milky softness and roundness. Green orange zest. Sweet basil and mint. There’s depth of minerality in flavours, tingling textural quality like in a gin and tonic. I find subtle candle wax, oregano, sage and grapefruit in the mix too. Long finish. This equals complexity and deliciousness. – Kasia Sobiesak, The Wine Front.
About This Wine
Ernst Loosen has been friends with Peter Barry of the Jim Barry estate in Australia for over 30 years. In 2015, they saw each other at the Riesling Downunder event, and they had the idea to do a Riesling together in Australia as in Germany. Ernst arranged to send a 3000 liter German barrel down to Australia (the barrel was given the name “Fritz” by the Barrys).
The idea was for Ernst to produce an Australian Riesling at the Barry’s estate the way he produces his dry GG RÉSERVE wines from the Mosel, while the two sons of Peter Barry produce a German Riesling in the Australian style with Mosel grapes at Dr. Loosen. The Australian Riesling that Ernst produced at the Barry’s estate is called WOLTA WOLTA, the Aboriginal name for “good water”. It is the area where the vineyard is located which was a watering place for wild animals.
The German Riesling which the Barry Brothers produced at Dr. Loosen from Mosel grapes is called WALHALLA. The grapes were harvested from the Grosse Lage (or what the French call Grand Cru), Erdener Treppchen vineyard and the wine is fermented bone dry in a stainless steel tank and then aged on the fine yeast in the tank for around two years. Additionally the wine was kept one year in the bottle before release. “Walhalla”, which is German for “Garden of the Gods” where the souls of heroes slain in battle were supposedly received by Odin and celebrated drinking sprees and feasts all day long.
| Type | White Wine |
|---|---|
| Varietal(s) | Riesling |
| Country | Germany |
| Region | Mosel |
| Brand | Loosen Barry |
| Vintage | 2018 |
About German Wines
Germany is the world’s northernmost fine wine producing region and thus requires its vines to endure some of the coldest temperatures. Fortunately, the country’s star variety, Riesling, does well in cooler climates and can survive even these freezing winters.
Germany Riesling is classified by ripeness at harvest which is also used to indicate the wine’s level of residual sugar. Picking earlier means the grapes have less time to ripen and the corresponding wines will be on the drier side; while picking later gives the grapes the opportunity full ripen and produce a lusciously sweet Riesling. The classifications from driest to sweetest: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein (ice wine). While not as common to age white wines outside of Chardonnay, top tier German Rieslings can be aged for decades.
Other notable white grape varieties produced in Germany include Müller-Thurgau (a cross between Riesling and Madelaine Royale in the search for varieties that could withstand the extreme temperatures), Grauburguner (Pinot Gris) and Weissburguner (Pinot Blanc). The cooler German climate leads to earlier harvesting in general and gives German wines a distinctive character of higher acidity.
Historically red wine has always been harder to produce in the German climate. However, Pinot Noir grown in slightly warmer pockets of the country, has been highly successful in recent times. Going by the German name, Spätburgunder, German Pinot Noir can be elegant, structured and have vibrant acidity.
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