I only tasted Loosen’s 2006 Erdener Pralat Riesling Auslese Long Gold Capsule when it was in a very primary, still yeasty state, before bottling. Even so, it was unmistakably in a direct line from the gold capsule bottling (out of whose fruit it was selected), with enormous density and honeyed richness complemented by the concentration of an herbal elixir, and levitated and energized by a raging torrent of ripe citrus. Blazingly bright yet honeyed, and with striking depth of nut oil flavors, and savory salinity in the finish, this should be cellared for at least a couple of decades and is likely to last four or more. Ernst Loosen, Bernard Schug, and their te[AM - Outstanding]inished their harvest on October 6, before many growers had even begun. “Thank goodness we were able to bring 15 people up from Weingut J. L. Wolf in the Pfalz,” says Loosen about the hectic and heroic day-and-night harvest of 2006. “We’ve never before had 50 people out there in the vineyards.” “Those guys from the Pfalz had just plain had it at the end, I can tell you,” adds Schug, without a trace of humor. But he brightens when assessing the vintage as a whole. “I considered the 2005s the best collection of my career, but at this stage, I don’t think 2006 as a whole is weaker.” During the past three vintages in his collaborative work with Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington State, Loosen points out, he has moved on to their harvest after that of his own estate in the “cool climate ‘Old World.’” Wine Advocate