READ · COMPARE · EXPLAIN
Dr. Loosen: aging dry Riesling on the lees
A Mosel Riesling producer in Germany. In addition to sweet wines named after vineyard sites, they also make dry GG and GG Réserve. By learning about their dry wines made using used oak barrels and extended lees ageing, you gain insight into the range of Mosel styles.
Compare the published descriptions of GG and GG Réserve. From points such as the use of seasoned barrels, contact with lees, and stages of maturation, you can read the approach to dry winemaking.
Questions for this course
Does aging Riesling in wooden barrels for a long time always impart new oak aromas?
Before you start reading, briefly jot down your thoughts. You will rephrase them at the end.
To applied practice using the material ↓
To explanation task notes ↓Dr. Loosen / Study by producer
Germany / Mosel
Other names & notations: Dr Loosen / ドクター・ローゼン
Update date: 2026-09-24
The choice of dry style in Mosel wines
Dr. Loosen presents GG as dry Riesling. GROSSE LAGE is the vineyard classification; GG relates to the dry wine made from these sites. Do not assume finished wines will be sweet just from the Mosel or Riesling name—always check the style.
At least one year in used barrels
The GG range is described as hand-picked and selected, naturally fermented in used oak barrels, and matured for at least a year on the lees in the same barrels. 'Wooden barrel' does not only mean new barrels. By separating wood type, barrel usage history, and time on lees, you avoid determining aromas solely from the word 'barrel'.
24 months for Réserve
GG Réserve is described as being fermented in old fuder barrels and aged for 24 months with the lees without racking. Fuder refers to the large barrels used in this region. Even among dry wines, note the choice to prolong time on the lees.
Separately confirm the period after removal from the barrel.
On the Réserve page, bottle aging follows time in barrel. However, as of the latest check, there is a discrepancy between text and product description regarding the time spent in bottle. For this course's comparison, only the 24 months in barrel, which are confirmed, will be considered, and the actual period of bottle aging should be checked in the shipping data of the year you buy.
What to align and what to compare.
Style
- Conditions to standardize
- Riesling
- Conditions for comparison.
- Vineyard classification and indication of dry wine.
- Additional points to confirm
- Do not determine sweetness/dryness by region name.
Barrel
- Conditions to standardize
- Well-used oak
- Conditions for comparison.
- GG and GG Réserve
- Additional points to confirm
- Do not assume barrel use means use of new barrels.
Time with the lees
- Conditions to standardize
- Aging in barrel
- Conditions for comparison.
- At least one year and 24 months
- Additional points to confirm
- Reconfirm the time spent in bottle for each year
Order of reading and key points to consider in each article
0 / 3 articles completed
Next article →Progress is recorded as the completion of reading articles. This does not include completion of explanatory assignments.
- 1↗
Germany
Mosel: Reading the River’s Meanders and Slopes
Read the geography of rivers and slopes.
- 2↗
Germany
VDP: GROSSE LAGE and GROSSES GEWÄCHS
Separate vineyard classification and GG (Grosses Gewächs).
- 3↗
Germany
Prädikatswein: must conditions and sweetness after completion
Distinguish the condition of the juice from post-fermentation sweetness.
READ · HYPOTHESIZE · RECONSIDER
Dr. Loosen document reading: aging dry Riesling on the lees
Verify the ingredients and processes in the materials and consider reasons for differences.
The numbers are based on documentation from the indicated year, or the product description at the time of confirmation. Descriptions without a vintage do not guarantee specifications for all vintages.
| Comparison items | GG Range | GG Réserve Range |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Dry Riesling | Dry Riesling |
| Fermentation | Native fermentation in used oak | Natural fermentation in old foudres |
| Aging on lees in barrel | At least one year | 24 months without racking |
| What to check by vintage | Specifications for the relevant vineyard and vintage | Record of bottle maturation and release. |
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Read the explanation for each question
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What does the barrel in the GG description refer to?
The producer describes fermentation and lees aging in used oak. The use of wood barrels as a material and the proportion of new barrels are separate items.
What are the 24 months for Réserve?
The only consistent detail in the materials is the process of spending 24 months in old foudre barrels on the lees. This duration does not include bottle aging.
What if the bottle aging period differs in various sources?
When the main text and product description differ, there is no basis for deciding on a single figure. Please confirm using sources for the same vineyard and year; until then, treat it as unknown.
Basis and sources for the exercise
Practice exercises in comparison
Compare the raw materials and processes in the documentation, and explain the choices made by the producer.
Read examples of organizing comparisons
| Conditions for Comparison | GG Range | GG Réserve Range |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Dry Riesling | Dry Riesling |
| Fermentation | Native fermentation in used oak | Natural fermentation in old foudres |
| Aging on lees in barrel | At least one year | 24 months without racking |
| What to check by vintage | Specifications for the relevant vineyard and vintage | Record of bottle maturation and release. |
Sources of materials used for comparison are listed in the text and exercises.
Explain in your own words
Please explain separately the usage history of wood barrels, time on lees, and bottle aging. Also, indicate information to check when the numbers in the sources do not match.
Check after writing
- Are you equating barrels only with new barrels?
- Are you confusing GG with sweet wines?
- Have you treated non-matching figures as the final values?
Save response to explanation task
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