Light gold colour. A bouquet of lemons and limes, flint and minerals, with gentle notes of meadow flowers. On palate, off-dry only, with citric flavours, stone fruits and a slightly honeyed edge. Viscous but elegant and refined. Good sparkling, but not ripping, acidity. Refreshing and bright. Quite long, finishing on its acidic minerality. It paired best of the three Clemens Busch with the Tarakihi fish dish. Hold for 2+ years
Slightly deeper gold than the Kabinett. A more exuberant nose of quinces, pineapples and other exotic fruits, again with honey dew notes. Also a floral component, reminding me of Jasmines. Almost a lemon-flavoured Turkish delight note to the bouquet. A sweeter entry to the palate than for the Kabinett. Tropical and orchard fruit flavours intermingled, including pears, quinces and pineapple, with mineral and metallic nuances. A backbone of acidity throughout the wine gave it good freshness and focus. Very clean and pure. It did not pair so well with the fish but it's a lovely Spätlese. Ideally hold for 3-4+ years
The best of the three Clemens Busch. Very pale colour. A lovely nose of white flowers, apricots, yellow apples, papaya and quince with minerals in the background. The flavours are similar on palate with limes, musk and a little botrytis evident. There is a honeyed glycerol quality but the Auslese is not cloying due to the refreshing acidity. Very pure and precise. Well balanced. Long. Hold for five years minimum, ideally 10+.
A double decanting five hours before serving. The Vietti threw a lot of sediment. Drunk over three evenings. The less deep colour of the two Barolos, just starting to brown. Apparently the nose and palate of the Villero were at their best just after opening. On the first night it had a lovely, classic Barolo bouquet, more expressive than the Gaja. The aromas were blackberries, dark cherries, prunes and figs, suggesting very ripe fruit. On palate, however, the fruit seemed, even on the first night, to be a little porty and overripe, with the blackberry, fig and Black Doris plum flavours dominated by espresso, dark chocolate and burnt toast. The next day, this profile had taken over the bouquet and the palate had grown harsher, finishing a little bitterly. A good Barolo but not, on this showing, a classic Villero. On the evidence of this bottle anyway, drink soon.
A double decanting five hours before serving. Drunk over three evenings. Impenetrable, deep colour. The bouquet was more savoury and restrained than the Vietti. Also dark fruit, roses and a little tar. Quite primary fruit in evidence on the first day. Dark fruit and earth. Seeming fairly traditional in style, the oak totally integrated and not at all out of place. Excellent fruit weight and well balanced. Lovely acidity. The flavours were more tar, underbrush, and a little mushroom and tartufi neri on day 2. Drinking beautifully over the three days. The flavour profile moved a little from more primary to secondary. Lovely umami, balsamic, creosote nuances on the third day. A beauty! Drink or hold.
2013 Weingut Clemens Busch Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Kabinett
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Light gold colour. A bouquet of lemons and limes, flint and minerals, with gentle notes of meadow flowers. On palate, off-dry only, with citric flavours, stone fruits and a slightly honeyed edge. Viscous but elegant and refined. Good sparkling, but not ripping, acidity. Refreshing and bright. Quite long, finishing on its acidic minerality. It paired best of the three Clemens Busch with the Tarakihi fish dish. Hold for 2+ years
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2013 Weingut Clemens Busch Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Spätlese
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Slightly deeper gold than the Kabinett. A more exuberant nose of quinces, pineapples and other exotic fruits, again with honey dew notes. Also a floral component, reminding me of Jasmines. Almost a lemon-flavoured Turkish delight note to the bouquet. A sweeter entry to the palate than for the Kabinett. Tropical and orchard fruit flavours intermingled, including pears, quinces and pineapple, with mineral and metallic nuances. A backbone of acidity throughout the wine gave it good freshness and focus. Very clean and pure. It did not pair so well with the fish but it's a lovely Spätlese. Ideally hold for 3-4+ years
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2013 Weingut Clemens Busch Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Auslese
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
The best of the three Clemens Busch. Very pale colour. A lovely nose of white flowers, apricots, yellow apples, papaya and quince with minerals in the background. The flavours are similar on palate with limes, musk and a little botrytis evident. There is a honeyed glycerol quality but the Auslese is not cloying due to the refreshing acidity. Very pure and precise. Well balanced. Long. Hold for five years minimum, ideally 10+.
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1990 Vietti Barolo Riserva Villero 91 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
A double decanting five hours before serving. The Vietti threw a lot of sediment. Drunk over three evenings. The less deep colour of the two Barolos, just starting to brown. Apparently the nose and palate of the Villero were at their best just after opening. On the first night it had a lovely, classic Barolo bouquet, more expressive than the Gaja. The aromas were blackberries, dark cherries, prunes and figs, suggesting very ripe fruit. On palate, however, the fruit seemed, even on the first night, to be a little porty and overripe, with the blackberry, fig and Black Doris plum flavours dominated by espresso, dark chocolate and burnt toast. The next day, this profile had taken over the bouquet and the palate had grown harsher, finishing a little bitterly. A good Barolo but not, on this showing, a classic Villero. On the evidence of this bottle anyway, drink soon.
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1990 Gaja Barolo Sperss 95 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
A double decanting five hours before serving. Drunk over three evenings. Impenetrable, deep colour. The bouquet was more savoury and restrained than the Vietti. Also dark fruit, roses and a little tar. Quite primary fruit in evidence on the first day. Dark fruit and earth. Seeming fairly traditional in style, the oak totally integrated and not at all out of place. Excellent fruit weight and well balanced. Lovely acidity. The flavours were more tar, underbrush, and a little mushroom and tartufi neri on day 2. Drinking beautifully over the three days. The flavour profile moved a little from more primary to secondary. Lovely umami, balsamic, creosote nuances on the third day. A beauty! Drink or hold.
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