Clemens Busch Riesling Marienburg Felsterrasse Großes Gewächs Bio 2017 white

Clemens Busch Riesling Marienburg Felsterrasse Großes Gewächs Bio 2017 is a profoundly mineral, dry Mosel Riesling from one of the estate’s most dramatic slate terraces. Sourced from a tiny, steep single parcel within the famous Pündericher Marienburg vineyard, this certified organic and biodynamic Großes Gewächs captures both the tension and generosity of the 2017 vintage. With only a few bottles still available, it offers a rare chance to experience a top-tier, site-specific Riesling at its peak of complexity and finesse.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, the wine shows a bright, pale golden color with greenish reflections that hint at both youth and freshness despite its age. The nose is intensely slate-driven, with smoky and flinty mineral notes wrapped around aromas of ripe lime, white peach, green apple peel, and grapefruit zest. Subtle hints of wild herbs, white flowers, and a touch of crushed rock add complexity as it opens in the glass. On the palate, this is a focused, dry (trocken) Riesling with impressive depth and precision. A razor-sharp yet perfectly integrated acidity drives flavors of citrus, stone fruit, and herbal spice across a taut, salty-mineral backbone. The texture is both dense and finely etched, with a long, vibrant finish that leaves notes of wet slate, citrus oil, and a delicate phenolic grip. 2017 is a structured, age-worthy vintage, and this Felsterrasse still has many years ahead of it; it is drinking beautifully now but will continue to evolve and gain complexity over the next 10–15 years, and likely beyond in good cellaring conditions.

Production
The Marienburg Felsterrasse parcel is a steep, terraced section of the Pündericher Marienburg, composed of hard, weathered slate and rock that forces the Riesling vines to dig deep for water and nutrients. This extreme Mosel terroir, overlooking the river, yields low yields of highly concentrated, mineral-driven fruit. Weingut Clemens Busch farms these vineyards organically and biodynamically, relying on hand work on the precipitous slopes, including manual harvesting at optimal ripeness to ensure pristine fruit. In the cellar, Busch is known for his gentle, low-intervention approach: the grapes are carefully pressed, and the must is allowed to ferment spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, typically in traditional large wooden casks (Fuder). Extended lees contact and minimal handling help to preserve the wine’s clarity of terroir expression while building texture and depth.

Food & Serving
This Grosses Gewächs is exceptionally versatile at the table, particularly with refined cuisine. It pairs beautifully with delicate seafood such as scallops, poached turbot, grilled sea bass or sushi and sashimi, as well as with fine poultry dishes, veal in light sauces, and roasted root vegetables. Its mineral spine and bright acidity also make it an excellent match for subtly spiced Asian dishes and sophisticated vegetarian fare featuring herbs and citrus. Serve at 9–11°C (48–52°F) to showcase its aromatic detail and structure. Decanting for 30–60 minutes is recommended for current drinking, as it allows the wine’s smoky slate notes and layered fruit to fully unfold.

Producer
Weingut Clemens Busch is one of the leading biodynamic estates in the Mosel, based in the village of Pünderich and renowned for its expressive, terroir-driven Rieslings. The family has been growing wine here for generations, but it was Clemens and Rita Busch who elevated the estate to international prominence through an unwavering commitment to organic farming (pioneered in the 1980s) and later full biodynamic certification. Their holdings in the steep Pündericher Marienburg are among the most meticulously farmed sites in the region, with individual parcels bottled separately to highlight differences in slate type and exposition. Today, Clemens Busch is widely recognized as a benchmark producer in the Mosel, regularly earning top accolades for both dry Großes Gewächs wines and nobly sweet Rieslings, and playing a key role in the renaissance of serious, age-worthy dry Riesling from the region.