Dr Loosen: Profile and top-rated wines

Dr Loosen is one of Germany's - and the world's - best producers of Riesling. See our top picks below...

Ernst Loosen, current owner of the Dr Loosen estate just outside Bernkastel, did not intend to be a winemaker.

His father had sent him to complete his winemaking studies at Geisenheim in 1977, however as soon as he had finished, he decided to follow his passion for archaeology and headed to university in Mainz.

His future as a world-class winemaker was not looking very likely until 1986, when his father fell ill. Not wanting to see the family business sold off, Ernst volunteered to return from university and run the estate, making his first vintage, 1987, in 1988.

In the early days, he headed out to visit key wine regions around the world, including Burgundy, Alsace and California. It was these visits that cemented the idea in his head that the greatest wines in the world preserved a sense of heritage and terroir.

Scroll down to see our top-rated Dr Loosen wines

The estate was arguably not in its best shape when Ernst inherited it – vines which should have been re-planted long before had been left and some were now over 100 years old, and still ungrafted.

Seeing this as a blessing in disguise, he decided to cut yields dramatically and improve selection when picking. His staff, however, were not keen on this increased workload and walked out, leaving him and his winemaker, Bernhard Schug to consider a new beginning, following a more organic approach in the vineyards.

Loosen’s winemaking practices have been heavily influenced by the lack of modern equipment in the cellar, combined with techniques picked up in conversation with the great winemakers of regions he visited.

His dedication to a traditional approach, focussing on terroir, has led his wines to become some of the most lauded examples of German Riesling. The estate owns vines in some of Germany’s most famous vineyards, including Erdener Prälat and Ürziger Würzgarten. In fact, Dr Loosen owns plots in six Grosse Lage (‘grand cru’) vineyards.

His fame arguably originates with the sweeter styles, but his dry Rieslings, especially from the Grosse Lage vineyards, have developed a strong following in recent years too.

Dr Loosen factfile:

Hectares under vine 20

Annual production 200,000 bottles

Grosse Lage holdings Bernkasteler Lay; Erdener Prälat; Erdener Treppchen; Graacher Himmelreich; Ürziger Würzgarten; Wehlener Sonnenuhr

Top-rated dry wines from Dr Loosen:

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