Clemens Busch Riesling Marienburg ‘Raffes’ 2017

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

“The personable family produces mainly Riesling with the main focus on expressive, full-bodied, dry or medium-dry grands crus harvested as late as mid-November and characterised by their depth, density, concentration and complex (merciless) minerality”
Stephan Rheinhardt, The Finest Wines of Germany

About Clemens Busch

I had the incredible pleasure of meeting Clemens Busch just prior to the 2020 pandemic hitting Australia. Tasting with him and listening to his carefully thought out responses to my typically probing questions was exhilarating. We may have been in a pokie, slightly stuffy room, his wines still transported me to another place.

A maker of mostly dry wines in the Mosel is not common. Historically those I have tried, even at GG level, have generally lacked that something special, the spark that takes you from solid to stunning.

I’ve often thought it to be in the élévage, the wines have been too raw, unfinished, lacking harmony.

Clemens wines were a revelation! Crystalline & translucent with incredible depth and length, elegance and refinement, yet wines of substance of flavour and texture. Sophisticated, yet, worldly.

They are a wonderful contrast to the richer styles from regions like the Rheinhessen, once again showing the diversity of styles Riesling offers.

Clemens started working in his father’s 2-hectare estate in 1975. He stopped using herbicides in 1976, then in 1984 he and wife Rita converted to organics. They were among the first in Germany to begin consciously growing grapes this way and they became instrumental in the movement establishing an association of organic growers in 1986. While farming organically they began using various preparations from the biodynamic toolkit, finally converting entirely in 2005. Today Clemens is recognised as pioneer of both the organic and biodynamic winegrowing movements in Germany and has mentored many other young growers, including his son Florian who now works with him and Rita.

Since Clemens and Rita assumed responsibility of the estate it has grown significantly and now comprises 18 hectares. 16 of those are on the ‘First Growth’ Marienburg vineyard that rises steeply from the Mosel, opposite the town of Pünderich. Vine age ranges from 35 to over 100 years, the single site Grosses-Gewächs (GG) range is produced exclusively from vines older than 65 years. The Marienburg vineyard comprises all three types of Mosel slate – red, blue and grey – and several unique parcels within the vineyard. This allows them to make a large range of distinctively different, site-driven Rieslings which are distinguished using the traditional names of the parcels. These names were largely abandoned in the ‘70s after the new German Wine Laws brought in the über-vineyard name of Marienburg. Thanks to the clear-cut differences between the individual sites; the wines are a great exercise in the transparency of Riesling, especially for the dry cuvees.

The estate is unique among its middle-Mosel peers as it produces around 80-90% dry wines, although many are now following Clemens’ lead. The traditional production methods are thoughtfully adjusted according to the vintage and include late harvesting, maceration before pressing, long slow natural ferments and extended lees aging in ancient 1000l fuders (the youngest of which is 57 years old!). The wines are unfined and unfiltered with small doses of sulphur just before bottling. All this ensures that these are among the richest, most concentrated, textural dry Rieslings produced in the Mosel today.  They retain great purity, striking acidity, deeply concentrated fruit, with nervosity and off-the-chart minerality.

In the Vineyard

Before you can work the vineyard, first you must become a skilled mountain climber! Everything here is done by hand!

In the Winery

It’s all pretty simple. Grow good fruit. Nudge it here or there during the making process. Pay attention to the details and get it into bottle in one piece! Large old oak, wild ferments, and a touch of sulphur at the right time. Job done. It’s as hard as that.

The 2017 Vintage at Clemens Busch

The Mosel did it tough with rare frosts smashing the vineyards. The quantities were down, the quality high. A wonderful year in the glass.

For Clemens Busch specifically, it what’s in the glass that tells the story. The 2017’s are captivating!

In 2017 “Once again, Clemens Busch underlined his great talent at producing superb wines in all stylistic directions. The village wines from Pünderich (vom roten Schiefer and vom grauen Schiefer) are almost too good, if we can put it that way, for such a level. The GGs are all worth looking for but, once again, the dry Riesling made with extended maturation really steal the show.” – Jean Fisch & David Rayer, Mosel Fine Wines, Issue 43

Despite being hit by intense frosts in April and losing 30% of the harvest to wild boars in October – the Mighty Busch prevailed with a year of outstanding quality! With his usual approach of picking from mid-September to October and strict sorting, the full portfolio of wines was produced for the first time in several years.

His Rieslings are one of the greatest expressions of soil transfer (terroir) available today, the perfect combination of exceptional site, old vines and meticulous bio-dynamic farming.

Where in the World is Clemens Busch?

Clemens Busch is in the middle-Mosel with the majority of his production coming from the Pündericher Marienburg vineyards.

The German VDP has an excellent interactive map covering the wine growing regions of Germany. Clink on the Map to go to the live version. For context, Pünderich is much further north up the Mosel from the vineyards of Whelen and Graach.