Riesling (alter)native trocken 2022

Wine Description for Riesling (alter)native Dry 2022 by Clemens Busch

Colour & Appearance

Luminous straw yellow with green reflections – a visual foretaste of the freshness and vitality of this unconventional Mosel Riesling.

Nose

Here unfolds the full complexity of Busch’s signature style. The 48-hour skin contact leaves distinct traces: candied ginger, honeydew melon and pineapple meet lemongrass, fennel and coriander. This fascinating oscillation between exotic fruit and Far Eastern herbal spice makes the wine an olfactory adventure. Yellow apples, white peach and pear form the domestic foundation, whilst mint and vegetative notes of anise provide additional complexity.

Palate

On the palate, the alternative vinification reveals itself in all its consequence. Taut, fine-meshed, forceful – this Riesling builds impressive tension without a hint of heaviness. The fine tannins from the skin contact weave masterfully with the present acidity of 6.5 g/l. Instead of tropical opulence, stone fruit now dominates, accompanied by abundant apple skin. The texture is remarkable: astringent, herbal, lively – a Riesling that doesn’t hide its edges and angles, but celebrates them.

Finish

Long and spicy with Southeast Asian herbs that weave beautifully with the herbal fruit. The yellow apple skin remains present, pleasantly herbal and with a minerality that recalls the slate soils of Marienburg.

Terroir & Origin

The grapes come from higher-altitude parcels of the legendary steep slopes of Pündericher Marienburg, one of the great Riesling vineyard sites of the Mosel. The cool terroir lends the wine its racy acidity and precision.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Clemens Busch’s interpretation of a Mosel natural wine: 48 hours of skin contact, spontaneous fermentation and 14 months maturation in 1000-litre wooden barrel. With just 1.5 g/l residual sugar, consistently dry and at moderate 11% alcohol – a wine where you taste both origin and signature in equal measure.

Food Pairing Suggestions

The herbal-spicy structure predestines it for Asian cuisine: Vietnamese summer rolls with sweet and sour dip, carrot soup with Earl Grey, cardamom and dill or chicory and Boskoop apple in green peppercorn cream. Generally, it harmonises excellently with dishes that feature bitterness and herbal spice.

Special Features

With the 2021 vintage, Clemens Busch winery achieved a quality leap – this 2022 impressively confirms this path. A Riesling for the adventurous, demonstrating that natural wine approaches and Mosel elegance need not be contradictions.