Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Alte Reben
⏳ Drinking Window
2020 - 2038
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Spicy Thai curry, roasted pork belly, smoked trout
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the iconic, amphitheater-shaped cliffs of the Urziger Wurzgarten ('spice garden of Urzig'), this Riesling is a testament to one of the Mosel's most unusual terroirs. Unlike the blue slate that dominates the region, the Wurzgarten is rich in red volcanic soil and iron-rich slate, imparting a uniquely exotic, spicy character to the grapes. The 'Alte Reben' (old vines) designation refers to the estate's prized, ungrafted vines—many exceeding a century in age—whose deep root systems draw intense mineral complexity from the earth. Under Ernst Loosen's stewardship, these ancient vines yield a Riesling of remarkable concentration, balancing vibrant acidity with lush tropical fruit notes of pineapple and kiwi, accented by wild strawberry, ginger, and a distinct herbal spice that has defined this legendary vineyard for generations.
🍾 About the Producer
Weingut Dr. Loosen stands as one of the preeminent global ambassadors of Germany's Mittelmosel. Under family ownership for more than two centuries, the estate experienced an epochal renaissance after Ernst 'Erni' Loosen assumed leadership in 1988. Loosen immediately implemented draconian yield restrictions, prohibited chemical fertilizers, and embraced spontaneous fermentations in neutral oak Fuder casks, frequently practicing extended lees contact. The domaine's strength rests in its holdings of ancient, ungrafted vines—many over a century old—clinging to perilous, south-facing slate amphitheaters. These steep slopes span blue Devonian slate in the Wehlener Sonnenuhr, red volcanic-slate colluvium in the Ürziger Würzgarten, and heat-retaining cliffs in the Erdener Prälat. Dr. Loosen is renowned both for crystalline, classically delicate Prädikat expressions defined by buoyant acidity and low alcohol, and for benchmark dry Grosses Gewächs bottlings that celebrate age-worthy, mineral-driven tension.