Clemens Busch Riesling Marienburg Grosse Lage "Raffes" 2019: A medium-dry Riesling from the Mosel that combines the mineral depth of Pünderich’s steep slopes with delicate fruit and cool elegance.
Bottler: Winery Clemens Busch, Kirchstrasse 37, 56862 Pünderich / Germany
In the glass
Colour
Pale straw yellow with greenish reflections, bright and clear.
Nose
Citrus fruits, green apple and white blossoms, underpinned by fine slate spice and a hint of herbs.
Palate
Juicy fruit with vibrant acidity, subtle residual sweetness and firm minerality; lean, cool and long on the finish.
Character
Precise and profound, with cool elegance and a palpable sense of origin from steep slate terroir.
Pairing
With pan-fried pike-perch, asparagus with hollandaise sauce or Asian dishes with mild spiciness.
Notes
From the Grosse Lage Marienburg, shaped by deep-rooted vines and biodynamic farming since 1986; the colour of the capsule indicates the slate soil on which the grapes were grown.
Tasting note
Character
An off-dry Riesling of seismic minerality and smoky depth. The Grosse Lage “Raffes” from the Pündericher Marienburg reveals itself as complex and multi-layered – a wine that bears the signature of its producer and unveils the uniqueness of its soil in every sip.
Terroir & Origin
The Marienburg in Pünderich on the Mosel ranks among Germany’s legendary steep vineyard sites. Here, the vines root up to eight metres deep into red slate – a rare formation that lends these Rieslings their characteristic smoky spice. Clemens Busch has farmed his parcels without herbicides since 1976, working biodynamically since 1986 and holding Demeter certification since 2015. This rigorous manual work on the steep slopes enables the vines to tap into mineral strata that shallow-rooted vines could never reach.
Grape variety & Vinification
Riesling in its purest form: the grapes for this Grosser Wein ferment spontaneously in centuries-old 1,000-litre foudres, some for over a year. No cultured yeasts, no enzymes, no fining – only patience and restraint in the cellar. Extended maturation on the fine lees adds further complexity. The result is a wine of crystalline structure that interprets the volcanic origin of the red slate with smoky depth and mineral freshness.
Food recommendations
The off-dry style and smoky minerality make this Riesling an ideal partner for Asian cuisine with mild heat, pan-fried fish in herb butter, or white meat such as veal with morels. It also shows its strengths alongside savoury cheeses like a mature Comté. A wine that impresses at the table just as much as on its own – with the depth that only great vineyard sites and meticulous handwork can produce.
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