2016 Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Im Laychen Alte Reben Reserve Riesling Grosses Gewachs

Dr Loosen is one of the most respected names in the Mosel, and has been in the same family for over 200 years. Current custodian Ernst Loosen works with some of the finest vineyards in the area, and since 2011 he has pushed the boundaries further in an attempt to better express three unique terroirs. Working with Wehlener Sonnenuhr (blue slate), Urziger Würzgarten (red volcanic soil), and Erdener Pralat (red slate), the Grosses Gewachs Reserve wines hail from the finest parcels of ungrafted vines in each vineyard. Fermentation occurs naturally as with the regular GG wines, however the wines are held on full lees for 24 months, before an additional 24 months in bottle. This additional maturation approach lends greater balance and a deeper degree of vineyard expression to these wines.

Wehlener Sonnenuhr is one of the most iconic vineyards in the area, with its steep blue slate slopes and eponymous sundial a beacon for the area. Wines from here are often some of the finest and most elegant expressions of Riesling, and with age further express their mineral slate origins.

Other Reviews....
Brimming with red gooseberry and white peach character this is sleek and elegant with an unobtrusive structure that drives this forward with considerable energy. Wonderful herbal freshness at the long, positively tannic finish. Drink or hold.
94 points
Stuart Pigott - jamessuckling.com

The 2016er Wehlener Sonnenuhr Im Laychen Réserve Alte Reben, as it is referred to on the main label (the reference to GG is left for the back label), is made from very old un-grafted vines in the prime Laychen (central part) sector of the vineyard and was fermented in oak with ambient yeasts and aged on its gross lees for 24 months before being bottled. It offers a beautiful nose of flowers, fine spices, and juicy herbal elements. The wine is superbly racy and playful on the palate and proves incredibly multi-layered and juicy in the long finish. The aftertaste is subtle, persistent, and multi-faceted. While already approachable, it will be even more refined and airy in a few years, when it will have fully matured. What a great dry Riesling in the making. Drink 2026-2041.
94 points
Jean Fisch & David Rayer - Mosel Fine Wines