Wine: Dr Loosen riesling

This was a special tasting of 12 superb wines, all rieslings from the glorious 2015 vintage, all but one from Germany.

Dr Loosen 2015 Rieslings

This was a special tasting of 12 superb wines, all rieslings, all from the glorious 2015 vintage, all but one from Germany (Austria the odd one out), all sealed with a screwcap, all imported by Cellarhand, the leading importer/distributor of German wines in Australia.

What made the 2015 vintage so special? A late budburst, then a long, hot, dry summer, until rain and cool weather arrived just in time to freshen the vines, arrest the depletion of acidity and allow picking in ideal conditions. Winemakers across Germany in the Mosel Valley, Nahe and Rheinhessen agree this is a great vintage providing luscious, seductive wines that have retained balancing acidity. Dr Ernst (Ernie) Loosen, a regular visitor to Australia, describes 2015 as “balm for the winemaker’s soul”, adding that “under close to perfect conditions we were able to harvest grapes with optimal must weights and acidity levels”.

I have been a long-term dedicated purchaser and consumer of German rieslings from the Mosel Valley. The ’71, ’75 and ’76 were all great vintages and the prices of those (from Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt) I imported direct with a small group of friends were derisory – $3 to $4 for kabinett, $6 for auslese, and $15 for trockenbeerenauslese and eiswein. I have a residue of those wines in my cellar, ’71 and ’75 still with life, the ’76 rich and enjoyable but lacking the acidity of the other two. If there is a question about the ’15s, it’s whether they will be cousins of the ’75s or ’76s.

I chose to add two outliers to the tasting, both Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr from ’07 (itself a very good vintage), a kabinett under screwcap and a spätlese under cork. The kabinett sparkled like a diamond, the spätlese opulent but showing its age. The cork held firm against ullage but did not prevent some loss of freshness. The conclusion? Any ’15 under screwcap will grace your cellar for decades.

2015 Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett

Has that extra edge of quality that distinguishes it from its Bernkasteler and Graacher siblings, purity personified, vibrant, long and precise. Rose’s lime juice is perfectly balanced by mouthwatering acidity on the finish and aftertaste. 8.5% alc; screwcap

96 points; drink to 2030; $43

2015 Dr Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett

Always close to the quality of the Wehlener, its bouquet is highly floral, with citrus and white flowers to the fore. Varietal fruit, residual sugar and acidity provide a three-way burst of sublime freshness and coherence. 7.5% alc; screwcap

95 points; drink to 2030; $40

2007 Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett

This is, quite simply, a ravishing wine; it has a treasure trove of flavours held by an invisible film of acidity, and a touch of spritz highlighting the treasure chest. It is surely at its zenith now, but experience tells you it has another decade of life in front of it. It is the mother of the ’15. 7.5% alc; screwcap

98 points; drink to 2027; $N/A