Continuing my plight for low alcohol wines I decided to try a German Riesling again as it has been a while. I have had Australian Riesling recently – the Aussies produce generally dry and sharp Riesling but as Riesling is one of the constituents of Liebfraumilch I was expecting something sweet (scale 3-5) but at an alcohol content of 8.5% it fitted the bill and besides, I was curious. I decided on a “Dr.L” from Loosen Brothers – at £7.00 from Sainsbury, it was a little more expensive than the others that I had in my basket.

Loosen Brothers who are based in BernKastel/Mosel have quite a reputation in the German Riesling world and although this wasn’t their best stuff, I was expecting that it would be good – I wasn’t disappointed. In fact it was well worth the money and as such, I will be buying more before long.

Vintage: 2014

Country of Origin: Germany

Region: Bernkastel, part of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region.

Alcohol: 8.5%

Colour: Pale yellow

Bouquet/Nose/Smell: Vanilla/”fruit salad sweets”/Pineapple (Sainsbury say: “Fruity”)

Palate/Taste: Pineapple also quite “tart” or sharp

Finish: Long finish – pineapple/Tropical fruit

It is a very pleasant wine with tropical fruit tones. (probably a 3 on the Dry-sweet scale) I wouldn’t hesitate to buy again. It is said to go well with spicy food – I would suggest Thai food particularly containing the likes of Lychees – I think that it would be overpowered by the heavy spices of Indian Cuisine.

Storage instructions: Should be drank within one year of purchase – no surprise there.

Loosen Brothers History:

History: The Dr Loosen Estate has been in the same family for over 200 years. When Ernst Loosen assumed ownership in 1988 he realised that with ungrafted vines averaging 60 years old in some of Germany’s best rated vineyards, he had the raw materials to create stunningly intense world class wines. To achieve this Ernst dramatically reduced crop size and stopped all chemical fertilisation, preferring only moderate use of organic fertilisers. He insisted on only fully mature fruit that had been strictly selected. And he turned to gentler cellar practices which allowed the wine to develop to its full potential with the minimum use of handling and technological meddling

Regional information: This entry-level Loosen Riesling embodies the elegant and racy characteristics of steep, slate-soil Mosel vineyards at a very reasonable price. Dr. L comes exclusively from traditional vineyards with steep slopes and slate soil. By working closely with growers on long-term contract, brothers Ernst and Thomas Loosen are able to assure excellent quality in every vintage.

Link to Dr. L on Sainsbury website.

Enjoy!