Villa Wolf

Ernst Loosen, owner of the world-class Dr Loosen estate on the Mosel, has taken on another wine estate, this one in the Pfalz region. The estate is JL Wolf in the village of Wachenheim. As with his in- tense and powerful Mosel wines, Ernst aims to preserve the traditional character of the region and the grape variety but with a new level of concentration and opulence. Typically, wines from the Pfalz are weightier, and drier, than Mosel wines, and have a style that’s rounder and more ‘earthy’. The wines are clean and focused with good body, full fruit flavours and a strong backbone. It’s now more than 10 years since Ernie Loosen took over this estate, and the benefits of improved and sensitive winemaking are really starting to be seen in the wines. PATRICK WALSH