White Wine

At the Loewen winery they grow vines that reach an almost biblical age. The roots go deep into the soil, so even in dry summers the small but golden yellow grapes reach a good level of ripeness. For Riesling "Alte Reben" the grapes are harvested from vines at least 50 years old. The yield of these vineyards is small, but the ripening of the grapes is excellent. The spontaneous fermentation that follows the harvest takes place over a period of 100 days and only a few days before bottling the yeast is removed.

The result is a wine that shows the full spectrum of Riesling aromas along with a wonderful richness and the elegance of a prima ballerina. Full and complex nose of stone fruit, quince, orange and lemon with some floral notes. Herbal and spicy. Juicy, expressive and well-structured with a long mineral aftertaste.

"Leiwener Laurentiuslay". This vineyard is one of the best Mosel has to offer. Owned by the Loewen winery since 1982, when they bought 6000 vines from one of the best vineyards of the Reichsgraf von Kesselstadt winery. Today the vineyard at Laurentiuslay is one hectare in size. Here they grow their best wines. They are very proud that this perception is shared by Hugh Johnson and Stuart Pigott who classified Laurentiuslay as a Grand Cru Site.

Winemaker Carl SchmittWagner decided to replant his best vineyard. He painstakingly selected only the best Rieslingvines for the focus of his renowned winery. In the year 1896 he planted Maximin Herrenberg with ungrafted Rieslingvines with 10,000 vines per hectare. A few years ago this very vineyard was ranked by the Prussian tax authority among the best sites along the Mosel. Today this vineyard still stands on its original site from 1896. This makes it probably the oldest vineyard in the world with ungrafted Rieslingvines of this size.

Maximin Herrenberg has a southern exposure of red slate. This very rare terroir gives the wines a unique structure. Coming straight from the Mosel River is the Maximin Herrenberg Riesling Alte Reben Trocken 1896. Clean, cool and spicy on the nose. Orange, kumquat and fennel stand out. In the mouth, it is rich, ripe, intense, excitingly clean, pure, salty, tasty and balanced. A Riesling with great elegance and finesse.

The vinification of Maximin Klosterlay is done following the traditional methods of the Mosel. After a long harvest and a spontaneous fermentation in old fuder barrels (1000 liter Mosel oak barrels) the wine remains on the yeast until bottling. The result is a Riesling that embodies elegance and richness in perfect harmony.

Rich aromas of fruit, ripe lemon, peach, stony, floral, with hints of herbs, citrus zest and spices. Rich in the mouth, minerally, charmingly creamy, round and juicy and Riesling with a few grams of residual sugar. This is an excellent Riesling for people who do not like the classic, strong acidity of the grape.

A few years ago, the Loewen winery acquired a vineyard in Leiwener Klostergarten which offers an ideal terroir for Pinot Blanc. It has a southwest exposure and the soil consists of deep gray shale. Even in drier periods, this terroir can save enough water.

After a late harvest the Pinot Blanc matures in Moseltypical wood barrels, the so-called Fuder. These barrels give the aroma of the wine a note of new wood. The fermentation lasts three months while it is done with the "sur lie" technique until shortly before bottling. Pinot Blanc shows the typical ease and elegance of the Mosel. The bouquet is defined by the minerality of the slate terroir and the green bean, lemon, pear and quince aromas of the Pinot Blanc. The fruit and elegance of the wine enchant with the power and richness in the background.