MOSEL, Germany


Ernie Loosen has singlehandedly put German wine on the world stage and into the 21st century. He has done it by a mixture of irreverence, tireless travelling and an uncompromising quest for quality. JANCIS ROBINSON

The Estate crafted a beautiful collection of classic Mosel wines, which show ripe acidity, great aromatics and shine, as usual, through great drinking playfulness. JEAN FISCH & DAVID RAYER, Mosel Fine Wines

In the late 1990s the dynamic Ernest Loosen took over the running of this old property, which owns superb sites in Wehlen, Urzig and Erden. Loosen has not been shy about expressing his view that the German wine laws of 1971 have allowed the largest and most cynical producers to exploit and traduce the names associated with the finest German laws. He has retaliated by focusing on quality above all else, ruthlessly cutting yields and harvesting as late as possible. Other estates may sometimes surpass Loosen in finesse, but few can match the sheer brilliance and concentration of his wines, from the humblest Kabinett to his majestic sweet wines, especially from Erden and Urzig. JAMES HALLIDAY