Dr. Loosen

Dr. Loosen owns parcels in some of the Mosel's most prestigious classified vineyards, including Erdener Treppchen, Ürziger Würzgarten, and Wehlener Sonnenuhr—sites rated on the 1868 Prussian classification of Mosel vineyards. The winery farms these steep, slate-soil parcels with ungrafted old vines, some over 100 years old, which produce lower yields and more concentrated fruit than standard commercial plantings.

Ernst Loosen has managed the family estate since 1988 and is widely credited with revitalizing its international reputation for world-class Riesling. Under his leadership, the winery shifted away from bulk production toward terroir-driven, single-vineyard wines. Ernst also partnered with Washington State's Chateau Ste. Michelle to create the Eroica Riesling brand, a widely distributed collaboration launched in 1999.

The "Dr. L" label is Dr. Loosen's entry-level Riesling, sourced from contracted growers in the Mosel rather than the estate's own Grand Cru vineyards. It offers the characteristic Mosel slate minerality and bright acidity at a fraction of the price of the single-vineyard Grosses Gewächs (GG) wines. The estate-grown wines from sites like Wehlener Sonnenuhr and Erdener Treppchen represent the winery's top tier.

The estate is based in Bernkastel-Wehlen, a town along the Mosel River in western Germany's Rhineland-Palatinate state. The winery offers guided tours and tastings by appointment, where visitors can sample wines from the estate's slate-soil vineyards overlooking the river. The Mosel wine region is one of Germany's 13 designated quality wine (Anbaugebiet) regions.