1896 Riesling Trocken gray label 2022 Carl Loewen

Professional reviews

James Suckling (97)

This is beautiful to drink now, but those things which really make it stand out in the crowd are only just beginning to reveal themselves. With every swirl of the glass the ripe peach and apricot aromas expand until there’s a great cloud of them. Staggering concentration is packed into a rather sleek frame, but the silkiness is no less astonishing. Limited production. Vegan.

Jancis Robinson (18.50)

Erste Lage. Red slate, ungrafted vines planted in 1896, fuder barrel, basket press, spontaneously fermented.
Nearly burgundian in its elegant depths, layers of stone, grapefruit, and the warm earthy spice of cardamom. Stony, smoky, floral aromas of orange blossom and wild mint are repeated on the ridiculously complex palate. One can almost taste the tiny berries like perfectly shaped lemon-candy tears. Vibrant citrus acidity shapes the delicately textured wine from start to finish. Cool, stony, ethereal and exceptionally elegant. With the conviction of magical realism, the wine stops adhering to the rules of this world, yet is convincing enough that we still go along for the ride. A Márquez masterpiece in Riesling form. And all of that at only 11.5% is an impressive testament to tradition, talent and terroir. (PS)