Loosen’s generic 2008 Riesling Eiswein prickles with radish and lemon peel on the nose as well as its very sweet, honeyed palate. So low in alcohol it is barely legally wine, this displays a striking sense of near-weightlessness and an impression of lemon meringue glazed with quince preserves that persists with accompanying sharp impingement that is undeniably invigorating if a tad unruly. I would plan on drinking this over the next 3-5 years. It offers an excellent introduction to a genre ordinarily unapproachably expensive for most wine lovers, and its strong sense of both sweetness and acidity should render it interesting for accompanying certain desserts.
“I want real Kabinetts,” says Ernst Loosen by way of explaining his early start on the 2009 harvest, “between 80 and 83 Oechsle, with crisp acidity, freshness, and the like; and you can’t wait around, especially when you have five, maybe seven days of Kabinett-picking to do and every day ripeness is rising. This year, we wanted to delineate even more sharply the difference between Kabinett and Spatlese, as well as a distinct difference between Spatlese and Auslese.” In practical terms, this meant among other things slightly reducing the levels of residual sugar in the Kabinetts (Loosen says that trend will continue incrementally); and reserving botrytis fruit solely for wines labeled “Auslese.” Eiswein from Lay, Treppchen, and Sonnenuhr; Eiswein and T.B.A. from Pralat; as well as a T.B.A. from Wurzgarten were all – according to cellarmaster Bernhard Schug – in various states of fermentation or preparation for bottling when I visited in September, so consequently I shall review those wines (or at least some subset thereof) at such time as I report on the 2010 vintage.
Importer: Loosen Brothers, Portland, OR tel. (510) 864-7255
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