Riesling Marienburg Grosse Lage "Raffes" 2019

An off-dry Riesling at 13.0% ABV from the Grand Cru Marienburg. The "Raffes" bottling puts the emphasis not on fruit but on tension, length and the mineral depth that defines the steep Pünderich vineyard.

Clemens Busch runs the estate in Pünderich on the Mosel in its seventh generation, farming 20 hectares of steep vineyards, eleven of them in the Marienburg. Three slate colours define the hill: red, grey and blue, each with its own character, identifiable by the capsule colour. The oldest, ungrafted vines reach as deep as eight metres into the slate bedrock, tapping mineral layers that shallow-rooted vines never reach. This depth is possible because the soil has been worked without herbicides since 1976; the estate has farmed biodynamically since 1986.

Pure Riesling. In the cellar, 80 percent of the wines ferment spontaneously in centuries-old 1000-litre oak casks, some taking over a year. No cultured yeasts, no enzymes, no fining, plus extended ageing on the fine lees that lends the wine complexity. Sulphur use is likewise kept minimal.

The wine opens juicy and cool: lemon zest, green apple and white blossom, underscored by herbs and a spicy slate note. The delicate residual sweetness carries the vibrant acidity without softening it, leading into a long, saline, mineral finish.

Clemens Busch works alongside his wife Rita and son Johannes; some of the old casks still come from the workshop of Rita's father. The wines feature on the lists of five three-star restaurants.