This is a very exciting offer for me as it marks my first discovery from what you could say was my first trip to Germany as not only a passionate collector of German wine but as a German wine merchant!
As always if you have questions or would like to order please email us at orders@sourcematerialwine.com
source|material - offer 024 Alexander Loersch
Evolution | Revolution in Trittenheim
“This estate is on fire!” - Mosel Fine Wines
Alexander Loersch Six-Pack Journey: $200
(includes one bottle of each wine below)
2020 Loersch Riesling Apotheke Kabinett - $25
2020 Loersch Riesling Hofberg Kabinett Feinherb - $25
2020 Loersch Riesling Rosengärtchen Kabinett Feinherb - $25
2020 Loersch Riesling Apotheke Auslese “Alte Reben” 375ml - $35
2020 Loersch Riesling Apotheke “Devon Terrassen” GG- $40
2019 Loersch Riesling Apotheke “Jungheld Holzfass” GG - $50
Introducing Alexander Loersch and a nearly two-decade journey to greatness.
By all accounts, Loersch’s 2020ers are one of the highlights of this spirited vintage in the Mosel. Alex has simply reached a new level. These wines represent both an evolution and a revolution in Trittenheim.
Mosel Fine Wines, published this, only weeks ago: “Alex Loersch outdid himself in 2020. It is as simple as that. He had already established himself as one of the finest producers of noble-sweet wines… The wines shine through freshness and playfulness… the estate wines are some of finest money can buy in 2020. This estate is on fire!”
Today we offer the first chance to taste through the amazing collection of this wildly overlooked estate. This is nothing less than an in-depth overview the likes of which has never been offered before in the U.S. Our curated six-pack has everything, from Grand Cru dry wines, to Kabinett and beyond. These are Robert’s favorites; @soilpimp has spoken. However, if you like, you may shop à la carte.
We’ve provided more information on all the wines, including prices and the Mosel Fine Wines reviews, below. As always, please reply to this email or contact us at orders@sourcematerialwine.com
The picture above shows the tiny hamlet of Trittenheim, nestled on one of the first dramatic oxbow curves the Mosel snaps as it flows downstream from Trier. Leave Trittenheim, crossing that bridge you see on the right of your picture and you are walking right into a dramatic wall of vines: This is Trittenheim’s famed Apotheke vineyard. (See picture below.)
If you aren’t as familiar with Trittenheim, or with the Apotheke, it’s not your fault. There simply haven’t been many truly superlative authors.
Alex Loersch is changing this.
But let’s go back a bit in time, to this August, to before Mosel Fine Wines had blown up Loersch.
Our schedules couldn’t make a joint trip happen, but Robert and I basically spent all of August in Germany. I covered the first half, obviously spending as much time as I could in the Mosel, while also wandering through the Rheingau, Rheinhessen and Nahe and going particularly deep into Franconia (see offer 023). Robert brought more focus to the game, spending nearly two weeks only in the Mosel and visiting over 30 estates.
When we were both finally back in New York, we did a pretty serious, Riesling-fueled download and it was clear Robert’s meeting with Alex Loersch was among the highlights of his trip.
This offer represents but the first fruit of this work, of Robert’s Mosel deep-dive. While this offer was already well in the works, honestly we’ve accelerated the schedule a bit because the Mosel Fine Wines scores have not helped with the availability of this small estate’s wines. It was sorta now or never.
Long considered one of the overlooked greats of Mosel off-dry wines, with the 2020 vintage Alex has only honed his skills further, with structured and buoyant Kabinett, an old vine Auslese considered one of the top Auslesen of the Mosel and one of the few (only?) 100-point TBAs of the vintage. Yet, the “revolution” at Loersch comes with the development of his dry-wine game; these are dry Rieslings of consequence.
For the moment, Alexander Loersch is not well known in the U.S. Let’s see what happens now.
If you, like us, believe the Mosel is one of the most hallowed terrroirs on earth, this $200 micro-Rieslingstudy is well worth the tariff.
The wines should arrive this year, though we imagine due to shipping and the holidays, fulfillment will probably begin in January, 2022. We’ve provided more information on the wines below. As always, if you have any questions at all, just email us at orders@sourcematerialwine.com
Thank you so much for the support.
2020 Loersch Riesling Hofberg Kabinett Feinherb- $25
Mosel Fine Wines, Issue no. 58: “The 2020er Hofberg Riesling Kabinett Feinherb, as it is referred to on the central part of the label, was made from fruit at 82° Oechsle in the Hengelberg hill and the main hill of the vineyard and was fermented to off-dry levels of residual sugar (21 g/l). It offers a beautiful nose made of pear, passion fruit, mint, whipped cream, spices, and herbal elements. The wine is gorgeously lively and packed with citrusy flavors on the palate. It leaves a gorgeous feel of spices, floral elements, and fine chalky elements in the nicely tart and mouthwatering finish. This beautiful off-dry Kabinett now just needs a little bit of patience to shine.”
2020 Loersch Riesling Rosengärtchen Kabinett Feinherb - $25
Mosel Fine Wines, Issue no. 58: “The 2020er Rosengärtchen Riesling Kabinett Feinherb, as it is referred to on the central part of the label, was made from fruit at 81° Oechsle and was fermented to off-dry levels of residual sugar (20 g/l). This bright-yellow-colored wine offers a gorgeous nose made of citrusy fruits, vineyard peach, aniseed herbs, quite some earthy cardamom, and smoke. The wine is playful and elegant on the palate and leaves a refreshing feel of orchard fruits wrapped into some minty but also quite some earthy elements in the light-footed and mouthwatering finish.”
2020 Loersch Riesling Apotheke Kabinett - $25
Mosel Fine Wines, Issue no. 58: “The 2020er Apotheke Riesling Kabinett, as it is referred to on the central part of the label, was made from fruit harvested at 83° Oechsle in the Vogelsang part of the vineyard situated high up the hill, and was fermented to fruity-styled levels of residual sugar (47 g/l). It offers a subtle nose made of pear, whipped cream, melon, cardamom, floral elements, and smoke. The wine proves delightfully light-footed and playful on the palate, where some racy acidity is currently not yet fully integrated into the delicately creamy elements. The finish is however already beautifully focused, intense, and persistent. This modern-day equivalent of a Spätlese or light Auslese from the 1990s now just needs a bit of patience in order to shine!”
2020 Loersch Riesling Apotheke Auslese Alte Reben 375ml - $35
Mosel Fine Wines, Issue no. 58: “The 2020er Alte Reben Trittenheimer Apotheke, as it is referred to on the central part of the label (the reference to Auslese is only written in small on the right part of the label), was made from early harvested and botrytized (50%) fruit at a full 115° Oechsle on 50-100-year-old vines in the terraced Vogelsang, Mockenlay, Jungheld, Kaulsbohr, and Laurentiusberg parts of the vineyard and was fermented to noble-sweet levels of residual sugar (110 g/l). It offers a beautifully dramatic and subtly creamy nose made of almond cream, baked pineapple, coconut, laurel, dried fruits, and smoky elements. The wine develops the delicately viscous yet focused presence of a light BA on the palate and leaves a superb yet ripe and rich feel of dried fruits, smoke, almond cream, and earthy spices in the long finish. Citrusy elements add the necessary depth to the experience in the after-taste. What this stunning beauty now only needs is a little bit of patience for it to integrate its tail of sweetness and reveal its full glory: What a great success!”
2020 Loersch Riesling Apotheke “Devon Terrassen” GG - $40
Mosel Fine Wines, Issue no. 58: “The 2020er Trittenheimer Apotheke Devon-Terrassen GG, as it is referred to on the central part of the label, is made from fruit picked on 60-100- year-old vines in the prime terraced part of Vogelsang and the Kaulsbohr sectors on the main hill and was fermented and aged in a mix of cask and stainless-steel tank. This bright-yellow-colored wine offers a beautiful and subtly ripe nose made of quince, pear, a hint of yellow peach, lemon zest, and quite some cardamom-driven earthy spices. The earthy and spicy elements also define the flavors on the subtly creamy and intense palate and lead to a gorgeously creamy, ripe, and subtly fruity feel in the long and slightly imposing finish. The after-taste is all about intense and creamy fruits, a hint of tartness, and some earthy elements. Lovers of dry Riesling with a dash of presence will particularly appreciate this effort!”
2019 Loersch Riesling Apotheke “Jungheld Holzfass” GG - $50
Mosel Fine Wines, Issue no. 58: “The 2019er Trittenheimer Apotheke Jungheld Holzfass, as it is referred to on the central part of the label, is a bone-dry wine (with 3 g/l of residual sugar) made from 80-120-year-old un-grafted vines in this prime south-west-facing sector of the Apotheke and which was fermented and aged in an acacia cask. This lightly yellow-colored wine offers a slightly ample and creamy nose made of pear, grapefruit, cardamom, earthy spices, and floral notes. The wine proves subtly creamy and ample on the palate (without however being overpowering) and leaves a slate-infused touch in the hugely creamy, spicy, and mineral finish.”