2023 Dr Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Mosel

An amazingly minerally dry Mosel riesling that seems to descend into your glass from the heavens like an angel. Incredible wildflower and peach intensity, and yet this is very elegant and subtle on the medium-bodied palate. What fantastic precision at the extremely long finish. Great aging potential. Drink from release.

97 points jamessuckling.com

From the ferrous red slate soils of this very steep vineyard next to the Prälat, the 2023 Erdener Treppchen GG Alte Reben opens clear, deep, fresh and intense yet also refined on the elegant nose that intermingles delicate slate and intense saline notes with concentrated and spicy Riesling aromas without becoming too fruity. Mouth-filling, saline and highly refined on the palate, this is an elegant but tight and very complex, intense, long und textural Treppchen with a sustainable and layered finish that exhibits mineral and herbal flavors as well as great and complex intensity that is sourced from the terroir and transported by the deep roots of the ancient vines. The 2023 Treppchen is a highlight of the vintage in Loosen's portfolio and most probably among all the Grosses Gewächs Rieslings from the Middle Mosel. 12.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in December 2024

96 points robertparker.com

Pickled stone fruits of peach and apricot mingle with citrus notes, and the acidity is already polished. Slightly yeasty notes from the 12-month lees ageing after spontaneous fermentation in 1,000-litre and 3,000-litre barrels still hint at youth in this barrel sample. The length is accompanied by a distinctive salty note, revealing a classic beauty maturing here. A monumental wine from a monumental site, so steep that centuries ago, stone steps were built into the slope to allow workers to reach the vines. The reddish, iron-rich slate soil contributes to a powerful and penetrating style.

95 points decanter.com

Dr Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Grosses Gewächs is a powerful and tightly structured dry Riesling from one of the Mosel’s most dramatic and storied vineyards. Ernst Loosen, one of Germany’s most influential winemakers, has long championed single-vineyard expressions of Riesling, and Erdener Treppchen consistently delivers a muscular, mineral-driven wine that captures the essence of this vertiginous site.

The Erdener Treppchen vineyard rises steeply above the village of Erden, with south-facing slopes composed of red Devonian slate and a dizzying incline of over 70 percent in places. The name Treppchen means “little steps,” a reference to the stone steps carved into the vineyard terraces centuries ago to help workers navigate the steep terrain. The vines here are ungrafted and old, many between 60 and 100 years of age, their roots plunging deep into the crumbling slate for water and nutrients.

The Grosses Gewächs (GG) designation indicates that this wine is dry and comes from a classified Grosse Lage (Grand Cru) vineyard. Fermented naturally in large old oak foudres and aged on fine lees, it’s built for complexity and longevity.

In the glass, this wine offers an intense bouquet of lime oil, wild herbs, crushed rock, flint and orchard blossoms. There’s a subtle smokiness and a cool edge of mint and lemon balm. The palate is electric and compact, with vivid acidity wrapped around flavours of green apple skin, grapefruit pith, salted lime and a core of crushed slate. Texture is firm and sinewy, showing both phenolic grip and steely drive. The finish is long, taut and very mineral, echoing the terroir with pinpoint clarity.

This is not a fruity Riesling—it’s a serious, ageworthy wine that demands time and rewards patience. Over 10 to 20 years, it will develop notes of beeswax, lanolin, petrol and honeyed citrus, while retaining its powerful core of minerality.

Ideal food pairings include grilled trout with herbed butter, pork schnitzel with lemon, veal with capers, or aged cheeses like Comté or aged Gruyère.