Know your étiquette! Mosel Spätlese

We continue this series digging into the clues written into a wine label by visiting a country notorious for its supposedly indecipherable bottlings: Germany.

It is a colossal shame if people are put off ordering German wine because of confusion. Some of the most animatingly pure and energetic wines grow within the boundaries of this country with a proud wine-growing history. After all, just over a century ago, the most expensive and sought-after wines in the world came from here.

Ironically, for all its seeming gobbledygook, the average German label is insanely specific, narrowing down on place, quality and style in a way that is unique.

Speaking of unique, the slate slopes of the Mosel Valley are home to a style of Riesling that is inimitable. Racing, clean and crystalline in their purity, these are wines to get the heart pumping.

So, join me as we decipher the label to dig into the wine. German labels scare the heck out people but a wine like this should be a source of comfort!

Dr Loosen is one of the most recognisable estates in the Mosel, with wines that are accessibly priced and easy to track down in export markets. It has been in the same family for well over 200 years and its present guardian, Ernst Loosen—Erni to his friends (and he has many—is a tireless raconteur, Riesling nut and one of the most entertaining characters you could meet in the world of wine.

Dr Loosen also counts many deservedly famous sites among its holdings. One of these is the Sonnenuhr (“sundial”) vineyard in Wehlen. The estate produces a range of wines from here, from Kabinett through to Auslese and including the pinnacle dry wine, Grosses Gewächs. (More on all of those later!)

The one that we’re looking at today is a Spätlese: a fun word to say and wine to drink. Follow me as we delve into this blue Devonian slate.