Dr Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese 2020

Dr Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese, Mosel, Germany, 2020 

Grape: 100% Riesling, hand harvested from 100 year old vines, unoaked.  

Auslese [OWS-lay-zuh] means “selected from the harvest,” and is a luscious sweet wine made from very ripe clusters that are about 50 percent affected by botrytis. The resulting wine is dense, intensely flavored and rich on the palate, but balanced by Riesling's naturally crisp acidity. The red volcanic soil of the Ürziger Würzgarten vineyard produces wines of a completely unique nature. The wines showcase the typically juicy and precocious fruit of the “spice garden,” with a rich mouth feel, zippy acidity and lingering finish.

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"Shows a rapier-like focus on the expressive palate of yellow apple, quince jam, white cherry and melon. It features a sound mineral backbone, with a creamy feel and spice. It is suave and graceful, with a very long finish. Best from 2025–2040."

92/100 points, WINE ENTHUSIAST, March 2023

"Spicy aromas of southern herbs, along with dried lemon, papaya, and mango. On the palate, lively acidity, tension, and juice, citrus fruit, mineral undertones, vibrant and densely woven, yet elegant, with great length and plenty of potential."

94/100 points, FALSTAFF (Austria), November 2021

Food Match: Spicy Asian dishes including Thai green curry or Korean pork ribs, glazed ham, rich pâtés like foie gras, and salty cheeses like blue cheese or aged hard cheeses. For desserts, consider fruit-based options that are not sweeter than the wine, such as an apricot tart or a fruit-based tarte tatin