2009 Villa Wolf Dr. Loosen Pinot Noir Rosé – Germany

May 29, 2010

Color is very clear and bright, a light pink with a slight orange tint. Soft strawberries and tropical fruit, balanced by a streak of acid and light tannins, make a very pleasant wine with a good mouth-feel. This is a good summer wine that will pair with skewered shrimp or barbecued chicken.

WHO: Villa Wolf Dr. Loosen
WHAT: Pinot Noir
WHERE: Mosel, Germany
WHEN: 2009
HOW MUCH: $12

John Trombley

Having seen this wine being poured in a local Pacific Rim eatery, in of all places Troy, Ohio, I asked the owner why he chose to have it by the glass. Marvelous value, matches cuisine very well, broad appeal, and quite dry. Seeing it here, I wondered about the source of the grapes, and did a little digging. This is not an estate wine; it’s Ernst Loosen’s ‘Villa Wolf’ negociant varietally-labeled line. It’s ‘abfüllt’ by this house, but not ‘Erzeurgerabfüllt’ or ‘Gutsabfüllt’, which would make it own-grape-sourced. Some of the fruit is probably his and some grown for him by others on contract. Word has it that he has very tough standards for vineyard work for those who grow for him.

All of it, by the way, does come from the Pfalz, where the amount of Pinot noir (Spätburgunder to you rubes) is increasing in acreage of late. Good thing, too. Pinot noir loves the sandstone that is so prevalent in the lower altitudes running down from the mountians toward and past the Weinstraße.

My friendly restauranteur also carries the Gewürztraminer from this same label. There are two or three other varietal wines available.