Dr Loosen
About Dr Loosen
Dr Loosen has been in the same family for more than 200 years and its present guardian, Ernst Loosen, is one of the great characters of the wine world. He assumed ownership of the estate in 1988 and immediately 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, Erni dramatically reduced his crop size and ceased using chemical fertilisers, preferring only moderate use of organic fertilisers. And, most importantly, he turned to gentler cellar practices that allow the wine to develop to its full potential with a minimum of handling and technological meddling.
About Ernst Loosen
Ernst Loosen is one of the great characters of the wine world. He was born into great winemaking tradition but it wasn’t his first instinct to take it up himself. Instead he went off to study archaeology and it wasn’t until the mid-1980s that he was spurred to take the plunge into wine. His father was ready to turn the estate over to the next generation but none of Erni’s brothers or sisters was old enough or interested enough to take it on. Thankfully, Erni threw himself into it with characteristic fervour. He completed studies at Germany’s renowned winemaking school in Geisenheim and then launched into a self-directed review of the great wines of the world.
He travelled to Austria, Burgundy, Alsace, even California. He went wherever great wine was being made, seeking out the best winemakers to find out what they had in common. What he discovered was that they all share a dedication to producing intense, concentrated wines that boldly proclaim their heritage. They also have a worldly outlook that allows them to maintain respect for tradition while tempering it with reason. This gives them the freedom to acknowledge that not all traditions deserve to be doggedly observed, and allows judicious use of modern winemaking techniques when it will improve quality.