Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling GG Alte Reben
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5 to 20 years from the vintage release, as the intense acidity and concentrated old-vine fruit integrate beautifully over time.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Spicy Thai or Vietnamese cuisine, roasted pork belly with crackling, and rich seafood dishes such as seared scallops with ginger.
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The Urziger Wurzgarten, or 'spice garden of Urzig,' is one of the Mosel's most dramatic and singular vineyards. Unlike the blue slate that dominates the region, the Wurzgarten is defined by a striking, iron-rich red volcanic soil mixed with slate. This unique terroir imparts a famously exotic, spicy character to the 100% Riesling grapes grown here. Dr. Loosen's 'GG Alte Reben' (Grosses Gewachs Old Vines) is sourced from ancient, ungrafted vines—some over a century old—whose deep roots draw complex mineral nutrients from the earth. Winemaker Ernst Loosen employs traditional methods, fermenting the juice with indigenous yeasts in historic, neutral 1,000-liter oak casks (Fuder) and allowing it extended contact with the yeast lees. The resulting dry white wine is a masterpiece of power and elegance, showcasing vibrant acidity, rich tropical fruit notes, and a distinct, lingering herbal spice that pays homage to its legendary vineyard name.
🍾 wine.about_producer
The historic Dr. Loosen estate, located in Bernkastel-Kues in the Mosel region of Germany, has been in the same family for over two centuries. Since taking ownership in 1988, Ernst Loosen has propelled the winery to international acclaim by focusing on the estate's extraordinary heritage of ungrafted, old Riesling vines—some over 120 years old—situated in historic grand cru sites such as Erdener Pr$lat, $rziger W$rzgarten, and Bernkasteler Lay. The winery's philosophy centers on minimalist winemaking and a deep respect for the region's diverse slate soils, which yield intensely mineral-driven, expressive wines. Dr. Loosen is globally renowned for its precise, elegant Rieslings, spanning from dry (Trocken) styles to exquisitely concentrated sweet expressions like Auslese, Beerenauslese, and rare Eisweins.