Wine Article
2020 Weingut Clemens Busch Marienburg Fahrlay Riesling Großes Gewächs
Last edited on 4/12/2024 by LindsayM
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The 2020 Vintage at Clemens Busch
Clemens Busch admits being surprised by the quality of 2020: “The vintage started well with one of the finest springs on record. This led to an early outbreak and flowering. However, we were affected in our basis vineyards by the late frosts of May. The summer proved very dry but we got just enough rain, one in June and one in July, to avoid grapes getting stressed from dryness. The warm summer led us to expect an early harvest and we did indeed start mid-September … to immediately decide to stop and wait as the sugar levels were good but the ripeness was simply not there. We did start in earnest then at the beginning of October and finished rather quickly, in 3-3.5 weeks. The high levels of humidity meant that there was a great pressure from rot. We had to be very cautious and, honestly, at that stage, I was not really sure about the quality of the vintage. After tasting the wines this spring, it became clear that 2020 was really a vintage made for dry Riesling and for Kabinett and Spätlese.”
The Estate was able to produce its normal portfolio of wines in 2020, including a full range of dry and dry-tasting wines from its different terroirs in the Pündericher Marienburg. However, on the sweet side, things stopped at the Spätlese GK: “There was simply not a lot of good botrytis to go for anything higher, one has to accept what nature gives us” was the simple comment of Clemens Busch. The Estate will release a special cask of 2020er Marienburg Kabinett and of 2018er Marienburg TBA via this year’s VDP Auction in Trier.
Once again, Clemens Busch underlines the quality now reached by his Estate. The 2020er collection is simply superb. Its dry wines have the lightness and elegance of past days packed with the intensity of modern vintages. In particular, the Fahrlay, Fahrlay Terrassen, and Felsterrassen are, once again, among the finest dry Riesling to be bought anywhere in Germany. But also, its “simple” village wines would put many high-end “GGs” to shame. The fruity-styled wines are delicately light and lovers of subtly exotic yet racy sweet Riesling should plunge onto the Estate’s Spätlese GK. While there is no noble-sweet wine in 2020, lovers of the Estate may want to bid on the special bottling of 2018er TBA which will be released via the Auction in November: It is sheer wine perfection. Finally, if natural wines are your thing, the latest
Clemens Busch admits being surprised by the quality of 2020: “The vintage started well with one of the finest springs on record. This led to an early outbreak and flowering. However, we were affected in our basis vineyards by the late frosts of May. The summer proved very dry but we got just enough rain, one in June and one in July, to avoid grapes getting stressed from dryness. The warm summer led us to expect an early harvest and we did indeed start mid-September … to immediately decide to stop and wait as the sugar levels were good but the ripeness was simply not there. We did start in earnest then at the beginning of October and finished rather quickly, in 3-3.5 weeks. The high levels of humidity meant that there was a great pressure from rot. We had to be very cautious and, honestly, at that stage, I was not really sure about the quality of the vintage. After tasting the wines this spring, it became clear that 2020 was really a vintage made for dry Riesling and for Kabinett and Spätlese.”
The Estate was able to produce its normal portfolio of wines in 2020, including a full range of dry and dry-tasting wines from its different terroirs in the Pündericher Marienburg. However, on the sweet side, things stopped at the Spätlese GK: “There was simply not a lot of good botrytis to go for anything higher, one has to accept what nature gives us” was the simple comment of Clemens Busch. The Estate will release a special cask of 2020er Marienburg Kabinett and of 2018er Marienburg TBA via this year’s VDP Auction in Trier.
Once again, Clemens Busch underlines the quality now reached by his Estate. The 2020er collection is simply superb. Its dry wines have the lightness and elegance of past days packed with the intensity of modern vintages. In particular, the Fahrlay, Fahrlay Terrassen, and Felsterrassen are, once again, among the finest dry Riesling to be bought anywhere in Germany. But also, its “simple” village wines would put many high-end “GGs” to shame. The fruity-styled wines are delicately light and lovers of subtly exotic yet racy sweet Riesling should plunge onto the Estate’s Spätlese GK. While there is no noble-sweet wine in 2020, lovers of the Estate may want to bid on the special bottling of 2018er TBA which will be released via the Auction in November: It is sheer wine perfection. Finally, if natural wines are your thing, the latest