He seems like a great guy if you ever get to talk with him - passionate about what he does and very personable.Some tasting notes:
2002 J.L. Wolf Pinot Gris - yes - a German Pinot Gris - and not a bad one at that. Pale yellow in color - very juicy and well balanced. A great value at $12 a bottle.
2002 J.L. Wolf Wachenheimer Trocken (Pfalz) - this was a dry Riesling yet very aromatic and almost creamy in flavor. Lots of minerals on the palate with good balance. Another great value at $12 per bottle.
2004 Dr. Loosen Estate Riesling - my favorite of the tasting, not only because it was my first 2004, but it was also a very nice wine and great value.
Very pale yellow in color, this off-dry estate wine was bursting with lime, grapefruit and a nice bit of minerals. The acidity in this wine just crackled over your palate but in a nice way. It's still balanced in my opinion but on the high-acid side of balance.
In my opinion, most of the 2003's I've had have been fat and had "warm" flavor profiles - baked apples, cinnamon, apricots etc. If the 2004's follow the trend of this estate wine, it is definately a move back to the "cool" citrus flavor profiles and bracing acidity.
This estate wine was my WOTN for this tasting, combining all factors. For those that are fans of those cool summer sippers like Kim Crawford Sauv Blanc, save some room in your lineup for a couple of these. At $11 a bottle, I think they're both a great value and great fun.
2003 Dr. Loosen Urziger Wurtzgarten Riesling Kabinett - almost Spatlese level residual sugar. A little reticent on the nose - not giving up as much aromatics as some of the other big Riesling wines but otherwise good. Flavors of white peach, cinnamon and asian pear.
2003 Dr. Loosen Wehlenur Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese - high in residual sugar, this doesn't display a lot of the typical minerals you would expect to find from a W.S. wine. Instead, the flavors push towards baked apples, apricots and a hint of citrus.
