Clemens Busch tasting

My friends at Ginsberg + Chan hosted a tasting of wines from Weingut Clemens Busch from the Mosel, and Jay highly recommended that I come and check out the wines. Clemens Busch stopped by Hong Kong on his way home from a long-overdue vacation in New Zealand, and was on hand to conduct the tasting.

Pascal Doquet Diapason Le Mesnil-sur-Oger - good notes of lemon on the nose, but maybe also a touch of honey there, too. Nice acidity balance on the palate.

First flight:

2022 Clemens Busch Riesling (alter)native Trocken - the "natural wine". Nose was very stony and flinty, with plenty of petrol, but also some honey. Thick texture and grippy on the palate, with high acidity... and maybe a little too much for my liking. Also showed more juicy fruit on the nose.

2022 Clemens Busch Marienburg Rothenpfad Riesling Großes Gewächs - the vines are more than 80 years old. Big nose of toast, then also some petrol. Acidity was also high here, but softer than the (alter)native, and more crisp and clean.

Second flight:

2022 Clemens Busch Marienburg Fahrlay Riesling Großes Gewächs - a bit more ripeness on the palate, more rounded, but still dry overall with good acidity. Some flint and lemon on the nose.

2022 Clemens Busch Marienburg Fahrlay Terrassen Riesling Großes Gewächs - the grapes come from 115-year-old vines. The acidity was higher, more grippy on the palate, with a longer finish. There was more petrol and flint on the nose.

Third flight:

2022 Clemens Busch Marienburg Falkenlay Riesling Großes Gewächs - nose was showing fruity notes, with stone fruits like peach. Of course there was flint and a hint of petrol, too. Certainly more complexity on the nose. And we've got the acidity on the palate.

Fourth flight:

2022 Clemens Busch Marienburg Felsterrasse Riesling Große Lage - the grapes come from vines which are almost 100 years old, with a small production of around 1,000 bottles. The nose was much bigger, with bigger punch of the flint. This was clearly more rounded on the palate, still with the acidity but at the same time a little more ripeness.

2022 Clemens Busch Marienburg Raffes Riesling Große Lage - also small production of around 1,400 bottles. This was much more ripe than the Felsterrasse, but still flinty. There was more sugar on the palate, with plenty of acidity and a long finish. The nose here was more showy and powerful.

Fifth flight: finally an off-dry wine.

2022 Clemens Busch Marienburg Riesling Spätlese Große Lage Goldkapsel - the nose was much more floral, together with the familiar petrol. Definitely more residual sugar and sweeter on the palate.