Weingut Carl Loewen – Riesling 1896 Black Label 2023

Weingut Carl Loewen – Riesling 1896 Black Label 2023.

German wine culture finds some of its earliest roots along the Mosel. Archaeological discoveries along the river’s banks point to viticultural activity as early as the 4th century, with the remains of a Roman press house bearing witness to the region’s long winegrowing history.

Over time, the Mosel has carved out one of Europe’s most distinctive vineyard landscapes, shaped by dramatic cliffs, narrow terraces and extreme slopes that continue to define the region’s identity. Riesling, accounting for nearly 90% of all plantings, has found here one of its most precise and site-transparent expressions.

It is within this historical and geological framework that Weingut Carl Loewen has developed its identity. Founded in 1803 and rooted in some of the Mosel’s most demanding steep-slope vineyards, the estate offers a compelling link between the region’s Roman origins, its 19th-century vineyard heritage, and a contemporary, terroir-focused interpretation of Riesling.

About the Winery

Situated along one of the most historic stretches of the Mosel, Weingut Carl Loewen stands as a benchmark estate for traditionally crafted, terroir-driven Riesling. Based in Leiwen, at the heart of the Middle Mosel, the winery cultivates some of the region’s most prized steep-slope vineyards, including parcels with ungrafted vines that rank among the oldest in Germany.

The Carl Loewen estate was founded in 1803, when the ancestors of Karl-Josef and Christopher Loewen acquired vineyards in the Maximiner Klosterlay (Detzem). Over time, these initial holdings were systematically expanded.

Christopher Loewen, who now leads the estate, has gained international recognition for his meticulous vineyard work, commitment to historic winemaking methods, and his ability to express the nuanced individuality of each site. The following report focuses on one of the estate’s most exceptional bottlings, produced from vines planted in 1896—an extraordinary window into Mosel heritage.

For insiders, Carl Loewen has long been among the finest estates the Mosel has to offer. British wine critic Stuart Pigott wrote in 2017: “Karl-Josef Loewen already attracted attention with his elegant Mosel wines at the beginning of the nineties, and after a great leap in quality in the dry Rieslings, he was chosen in 2011 as the up-and-coming ‘Winery of the Year’. But all of this was just the beginning. After Karl-Josef’s son Christopher joined the business in 2015, there was another leap—into the Premier League of German wine…”

About the Wine

The Riesling 1896 Black Label is Christopher Loewen’s flagship wine. Sourced from the oldest vines in the Maximiner Herrenberg Lage, planted in 1896, a single barrel is vinified only in the finest years, following techniques used more than a century ago.

The grapes are harvested in several stages of ripeness, entirely by hand, given the extreme incline of the site. They are foot-trodden in the vineyard itself and pressed in an old basket press at the winery on the evening of harvest. The must ferments without sedimentation. Fermentation takes place in the estate’s oldest wooden cask, dating from 1960, to avoid any aromatic influence from the oak. The wine remains on its fine lees until the following summer.

Due to German wine law, which allows only one Grosses Gewächs per Grosse Lage, this top cuvée is labelled as Erste Lage. Only 1,200 bottles are produced. The 2023 vintage received 100 points from James Suckling.

Our tasting notes for the wine:

Deep lemon-yellow in colour. The nose opens discreetly, with subtle hints of spontaneous fermentation, before moving towards a cool and precise aromatic spectrum of citrus, lemon and lime, supported by ripe pineapple. At this stage, primary fruit remains clearly present. With aeration, the wine gains depth and complexity, revealing notes of attic fruit, apple and pear, alongside citrus and refined exotic nuances of pineapple and mirabelle.

The palate is clear, dense and focused, lifted by a mouthwatering freshness that gives the wine remarkable tension and balance. Citrus-driven acidity shapes the structure, leading to a long, saline finish marked by pronounced minerality. Still extremely young, this wine will benefit from at least three years of further cellaring to fully express its pedigree.

We award this wine with a 96-point DWA score.

This review is written by our own Marc Roovers. The wines of Carl Loewen are available in Belgium at Vinikus & Lazarus, in the Netherlands they are distributed by, among others, by Pasteuning and Vojacek.

Tasting Date:              November 2025

Website:                     Weingut Carl Loewen