Wurzgarten
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2035
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Spicy Thai or Vietnamese dishes, roasted pork belly with apple compote, and artisanal blue cheeses.
✨ Technical Specifications
The Ürziger Würzgarten, or 'spice garden of Ürzig,' is one of the most iconic and visually striking vineyards in Germany's Mosel region. Cultivated by the historic Dr. Loosen estate, this amphitheater-like steep slope is famous for its unique red volcanic soil and weathered red slate, a geological anomaly in a region dominated by blue slate. This distinct terroir, combined with ancient, ungrafted Riesling vines—some over a century old—produces a wine of singular character. Unlike the typical green-apple and mineral profile of other Mosel Rieslings, the Würzgarten is legendary for its exotic, tropical fruit aromas, fiery spice, and complex herbal notes. Dr. Loosen crafts various styles from this site, from bone-dry Grosses Gewächs to luscious, noble sweet dessert wines, all bound by a vibrant, electric acidity and a rich historical heritage dating back to Roman viticulture.
🍾 About the Producer
The historic Dr. Loosen estate has been in the Loosen family for over two centuries, situated along the dramatic, slate-lined slopes of the Middle Mosel in Bernkastel-Kues, Germany. Since taking over management in 1988, Ernst Loosen has revitalized the winery by strictly focusing on low yields, meticulous vineyard stewardship, and minimal intervention in the cellar. The estate is blessed with extraordinarily old, ungrafted Riesling vines in legendary Grand Cru (Grosse Lage) vineyards such as Erdener Prälat, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, and Bernkasteler Lay. Dr. Loosen is globally celebrated for producing pure, expressive, and age-worthy Rieslings that range from vibrant dry bottlings to lusciously complex, mineral-laced Prädikat and dessert wines.