2015 Dr Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese Magnum

The Erdener Treppchen (pronounced AIR-din-er TREP-shen) vineyard is so steep that long ago, stone steps were built into the hillside to enable workers to reach the vines. This vineyard was rated “First Vineyard” (“Erste Lage”) in the 1868 Prussian classification of the Mosel, and is rated “Great First-Class” in the Wine Atlas of Germany by Hugh Johnson & Stuart Pigott (1995). The iron-rich, red slate soil produces wines that are muscular and complex, with an intense minerally finish. Erdener Treppchen Riesling Ausese [OWS-lay-zuh] means “selected from the harvest,” and is a luscious, limited production sweet wine made from very ripe clusters that are about 50 percent affected by botrytis. The botrytis mould, (aka “noble rot”) draws moisture from the grapes, dehydrating them and concentrating the juice. The resulting wine is dense, intensely flavored and rich on the palate, but balanced by Riesling’s naturally crisp acidity.