Clemens Busch, Riesling Trocken, 2022

The charming and self-effacing couple of Clemens and his wife Rita have gained a cult following over the past three decades for their laser-sharp, richly textured and terroir defined wines. Riesling is the king of grapes, the Mosel its most illustrious terrain and so produces its ultimate expression. Nowhere in the world is the identification of vine, winemaker and produce more precisely defined, and nowhere have we found Rieslings to compare with these.

In the sweet versus dry debate, it’s worth noting that Clemens only uses natural yeasts, preferring each wine to find its perfect balance in each vintage.

They have been members of Respekt, a group of winemakers who work biodynamically, since 2015. Clemens has long been a pioneer in organic viticulture, abandoning herbicides as early as 1976. In the early 80s his philosophy became more clearly defined as he met other Mosel producers interested in following these methods. At this time, he also started to experiment with lower sulphur levels and although he has made wines with zero sulphur, he thinks the combination of Riesling and the Lower Mosel climate calls for small additions to achieve the best results.