Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese, Mosel, Germany, Half Bottle (37.5cl), 2022 

Grape: 100% Riesling, unoaked

Producer Tasting Note:

This selection from the world-renowned Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard exemplifies the Mosel's great sweet wine tradition. The nose reveals intense aromas of ripe peach, apricot, and Mirabelle plum, complemented by delicate notes of honey, blossoms, and citrus. On the palate, the wine is juicy and concentrated, with a harmoniously integrated sweetness perfectly balanced by a lively, precise acidity. The characteristic slate minerality lends the wine depth, elegance, and a long, clean finish. An expressive Riesling with excellent ageing potential.

One of the most elegant and delicately scented, sweet white wines in the world grows in this very steep vineyard. The stony, shallow, blue slate soil gives the wine fresh acidity and a unique character. The wines of the Wehlener Sonnenuhr (the “sundial” vineyard) are the most charming from the Loosen winery in their youth and captivate with the scent of white peach and green apple. These Auslese wines will also age for many years, gaining dramatically in richness, depth of flavour and turning a deep gold in colour. Actual sweetness levels will drop over the decades, but the richness of the wine on the palate will easily compensate for this. Drink now, or over the next two decades.

Critics' Tasting Notes: 

"A very classic Auslese for the world famous Wehlener Sonnenuhr site. Succulent stone fruit character and a filigree acidity dance their way across your mouth. You feel the grape ripeness clearly on the front palate, but as the wine flows over the palate it becomes ever fresher, drier and more vibrant. Mouthwatering citrus and wet stone freshness at the finish. Drink or hold."

95/100 points, James Suckling, August 2023

"On the candied side, like fruit caramels, displayed on a lightweight, graceful frame. This offers a mineral note in the background and it's all supported by a racy structure. There's beautiful purity on the finish."

91/100 points, Wine Enthusiast, May 2024

Auslese means “selected from the harvest,” and is a luscious, limited production sweet wine made from very ripe clusters that are about 50 percent affected by botrytis. The botrytis mould, (aka “Noble Rot”) draws moisture from the grapes, dehydrating them and concentrating the juice. The resulting wine is dense, intensely flavoured and rich on the palate. 

Food Match: An ideal pairing for lovers of rich desserts (Fruit based: Apricot or quince tarts, peach compote, apple strudel. Creamy: Crème brûlée, panna cotta, custards. Honey: Semifreddo). Also, the sweetness contrasts with intensely flavoured blue cheeses, or savoury-spicy dishes.