2017 Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Im Laychen Alte Reben Reserve Riesling Grosses Gewachs

Dr Loosen is one of the most respected names in the Mosel, and has been in the same family for over 200 years. Current custodian Ernst Loosen works with some of the finest vineyards in the area, and since 2011 he has pushed the boundaries further in an attempt to better express three unique terroirs. Working with Wehlener Sonnenuhr (blue slate), Urziger Würzgarten (red volcanic soil), and Erdener Pralat (red slate), the Grosses Gewachs Reserve wines hail from the finest parcels of ungrafted vines in each vineyard. Fermentation occurs naturally as with the regular GG wines, however the wines are held on full lees for 24 months, before an additional 24 months in bottle. This additional maturation approach lends greater balance and a deeper degree of vineyard expression to these wines.

Wehlener Sonnenuhr is one of the most iconic vineyards in the area, with its steep blue slate slopes and eponymous sundial a beacon for the area. Wines from here are often some of the finest and most elegant expressions of Riesling, and with age further express their mineral slate origins.

Other Reviews....
Aged on the full lees for 24 months, the 2017 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Im Laychen Réserve Alte Reben offers a clear, deep, elegant and flinty bouquet with nutty sur lie and concentrated fruit aromas with lemony nuances. Crystalline, refined yet also intense and complex on the palate, the 2017 Laychen Réserve from the original Sonnenuhr combines intensity and texture with finesse, salinity and delicate lemon notes, and it paves the palate with fine tannins and lush, slowly maturing fruit. 12.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in July 2022. 2,450 bottles made. To be released in March 2023. Drink 2023 - 2050.
96 points
Stephan Reinhardt - Wine Advocate (Aug 26, 2022)

A touch of beeswax and dried lemon peel flickers on the shy nose of 2017 Riesling Wehlener Sonnenuhr Grosses Gewächs Alte Reben Réserve. It was harvested in the Laychen parcel from ancient vines of up to 130 years of age. More air intensifies these notions that continue right through onto the palate. The body is concentrated, sinuous, elegant and comes with a flavor suggesting lemon-scented stearin, imbued with salty notions and lovely highlights of ripe, juicy lemon. The result is a wine that seemingly draws you down into stony depth. Vivid, smooth, poised, juicy and mellow, despite the bright lemon notes. Elixir-like. (Dry). Drink 2023-2050.
95 points
Anne Krebiehl MW - Vinous

What a beautiful nose of ripe peach and toasted baguette this creamy and concentrated Wehlener Sonnenuhr GG has! I love the very sensual way that the mineral acidity is woven into the ample body of this irresistible wine that defies the regular descriptors for dry Mosel riesling with its succulence. Drink or hold.
96 points
Stuart Pigott - jamessuckling.com