Rita and Clemens Busch are the ‘absolute pioneers’ (Vinous) of organic and biodynamic viticulture in Germany’s Mosel region. Their families have worked the vines in the region for over 200 years and it continues to be a close-knit operation, with their son joining the estate in 2011.
Clemens has devoted his career to identifying the best Riesling-producing terroirs, taking viticulture to a new level. The three Rieslings on offer today show a terroir snapshot of each type of slate – red (roten), grey (grauen) and blue (blauen). Simply delightful and surprisingly different considering they were all made in the same way, these Rieslings are a must-try.
RED: The Clemens Busch Riesling Vom Roten Schiefer 2022 hails from two single vineyards that grow in red slate soils, the rarest of the three slates. It’s ‘beautifully spicy’ (Vinous) with flavours of orange blossom, fern, grapefruit and pepper.
GREY: Moving to a wine that’s leaner in nature, the Clemens Busch Riesling Vom Grauen Schiefer 2022 provides a linear palate with pronounced lemon and apricot peel, and a salty tang that makes it ‘very moreish’ (Vinous).
BLUE: The Clemens Busch Riesling Vom Blauen Schiefer 2022 comes from the blue slate soils of the famed Fahrlay single-vineyard. It features lingering flavours of peach, kumquat and ginger preserve complemented by a smoky minerality.
The Busch estate consistently prioritises quality over expansion, with aims to maintain their 18 hectares in Pünderich, Mosel. Their Rieslings possess vibrant acidity perfectly balanced by small amounts of residual sugar, resulting in wines that are electric, complex and food friendly.
View the entire collection here
Tasting Notes:
Clemens Busch Riesling Vom Roten Schiefer 2022
‘Very fine spiced notes on the nose underlie juicy peach, kumquats and honey. Salty, dense and very long on the palate, with a lean structure and plenty of finesse leading to the long finish. There’s some fine phenolics on show, but still closed – a lot of ageing potential contained within.’ – Ulrich Sautter, falstaff, 92/100
Clemens Busch Riesling Vom Grauen Schiefer 2022
‘Fresh, mineral and endowed with a terrific juiciness. An extraordinary nose of lemon balm, apple slices, apricot peel, curry, tobacco and dried meadow flowers. The palate is very linear with bite and texture through to the finish. It shows weight in the glass but is perfectly balanced. Very much certain potential for ageing.’ – Ulrich Sautter, falstaff, 92/100
Clemens Busch Riesling Vom Blauen Schiefer 2022
‘The 2022 Riesling vom Blauen Schiefer is like the little brother of the Fahrlay. This is where it was harvested, as well as from the blue slate parcels above. It also contains any fruit that does not make the Fahrlay GG. Slatey smoke and lemon-edged yellow plum come with a hint of ozone on the nose. The concentrated palate tingles with rounded freshness and lemony stone fruit, driving deep into the stone with pronounced saltiness.’ – Anne Krebiehl MW, Vinous, 90-92/100
‘Meadow flowers, dried lemon peel, parsley and wonderful smoky notes from slate on the nose. On the palate there’s peach, and hints of honey, ginger and kumquat. The salty minerality continues skillfully throughout as it continues to develop in the glass, with excellent length.’ – Ulrich Sautter, falstaff, 91/100
