Made from red slate estate vineyards found primarily in the south-facing stretch of river that encompasses the villages of Ürzig, Erden, Lösnich and Kinheim, this dry Riesling has an intense minerality that is warm and enveloping. It has floral, spicy, citrus blossom aromas and harmonious flavors with a full, expansive texture. Very expressive.

This classic Mosel Kabinett is light, fresh and juicy, with a crisp finish. The fruit for this wine comes only from parcels with blue slate soil, which is the most typical type of slate in the Middle Mosel valley. Rich in potassium, this soil provides vital nutrients to the vines and gives the wines a pronounced mineral edge.

Sparkling wine, called “Sekt” in German, has a long history in Germany. A fact that you can see in the many German family names among famous Champagne houses (think Bollinger, Krug and Mumm, for example). Dr. Loosen celebrates this tradition with an Extra Dry Sekt from 100% Riesling, which makes excellent sparkling wine because of its natural acidity.

The Dr. Loosen Sekt Extra Dry is produced with fruit from estate vineyards in the Middle Mosel. Bottle fermented, it is brisk and refreshing, with pure Riesling fruit and crisp acidity.

When we acquired a small parcel of Pinot Noir vines in Ürziger Würzgarten, we were not really sure what to do with them. There is no real tradition for Pinot Noir on the Mosel, but we do love the variety, so it would have been a shame not to do something fantastic with these grapes. The most logical idea was to combine our love for Pinot Noir with our passion for great sparkling wine and produce a vintage Rosé Sekt. After five years on the fine lees in the bottle, in the traditional Champagne method, this is a serious sparkling rosé that displays the distinctive character of the cool Mosel climate.

Bernkasteler Lay (pronounced LIE) is situated between the Dr. Loosen estate house and the village of Bernkastel. The soil is predominantly slate, but is heavier and deeper than in the neighboring villages of Wehlen and Graach. This site also has a slightly gentler slope than the estate’s other vineyards. It produces richly textured, assertive wines.

Graach is a small village that lies between Bernkastel and Wehlen. This vineyard’s steep, southwest-facing slopes and deep soils produce wines that combine the elegance of Wehlen with the rustic strength of Bernkastel. Because of the forceful minerality of the abundant blue slate in the soil, wines from Graach have excellent aging potential and will improve in the bottle for many decades.

This precipitously steep and rocky vineyard (VAY-len-er ZON-en-ooer) yields some of the most elegant and sophisticated white wines in the world. The classic blue slate soil gives the wine a delicate, crisp acidity that perfectly balances the pure peach and lemon fruit. It’s a charming wine that dances gracefully on the palate.

Blazing red and insanely steep, the Ürziger Würzgarten (ERTS-ih-ger VERTS-gar-ten) vineyard fills the picturesque amphitheater formed by this dramatic bend in the river. It produces wines with exotic, spicy aromas that are bursting with tropical fruit flavors. The estate’s oldest vines are found here.

This vineyard is so steep that, long ago, stone steps were built into the hillside to help workers reach the vines. The iron-infused, red slate soil produces wines that are muscular and complex, with an intense mineral finish. Wines from Erdener Treppchen are more like a powerful, hard-body rock climber than the graceful ballet dancer of Wehlener.

A small slice of perfection, the four-acre Erdener Prälat (AIR-din-er PRAY-laht) produces some of the greatest wines in the Mosel valley. It has 100 percent south-facing red slate soil and an extraordinarily warm microclimate, yielding wines of unequaled power and nobility. The vineyard’s exposure, combined with the warming effect of the river and the massive, heat-retaining cliffs that surround it, ensures exceptional ripeness in every vintage.

Picked and pressed during a natural freeze in December 2007, this vibrant, racy dessert wine conjures flavors of densely packed pear, apple and guava, with an intense, nervy edge in the aroma. It is luscious, silky and juicy on the palate, with bright acidity giving it a crisp, dynamic finish. Available in 375ml and 187ml bottles (the 187ml bottle is packaged in an attractive display tube).

Beerenauslese (pronounced BEAR-en OWS-lay-zuh) means “berry selection” in German. It is an intense, ultra-concentrated dessert wine made from hand-selected grapes that have been shriveled about halfway to raisins by botrytis (the “Noble Rot”). BA has the same minimum must weight as Eiswein, so they have about the same sweetness. But BA has the distinct honeyed character that comes from botrytis, giving the wines a more complex aroma and a lusher texture.