A tale of two Rieslings.

A tale of two Rieslings... 

One of my great fascinations in wine is the world of Riesling. 

Riesling is a grape that can lend to a ripe unctuous honey dripped glass of stonefruit but also can lend to a glassy clean dry wine with notes of morning dew and wet stone. Sometimes you can even get all those things in the same wine. Finding producers that speak to you is always recommended but also investigating the deep heritage of German wines and Riesling in general is a facet of wine appreciation that I am always stoking especially when I see "new" producers arriving in Maine! 

One of these producers is Clemensbusch which just landed in Maine courtesy of Devenish Wines. Its funny how sometimes a wine hits your radar and within a week your radar hones in on finding it. I noticed Clemensbusch on a few end of the year top wines of 2024 and usually when I see a Riesling making an appearance on a couple of list, of which I take all with a grain of sugar, but do acknowledge them and file them away in my "to taste" rolodex. Well stars aligned and maybe a week later Devenish mailed out a "New Wine Email" and there sat this trocken riesling from Clemensbusch. After ordering a handful later that week when my rep stopped in, I inquired if any of the GG Marienburg offering came in as well. Seems like just a case landed along with the Trocken but luckily I was able to snag a bottle. Looking forward to popping that at a later date, but right around the holidays I decided to sip the trocken to get to know the producer.

the wine: Clemensbusch Riesling Trocken 2023

My Thoughts: 

Pours a pale straw color with a bit of unfiltered haze to the pour.

Nose is angular with tight glassy limestone and lemon peel that mingle with dew soaked dandelion and a touch of unripe pineapple spears. Palate follows the nose and is subdued yet tangy with some salted lemon, spring water minerality, chamomile accents linger with fresh grass and a touch of sorrel.

Definitely a touch watery overall but has a charming quality that reminds me of a heavy dew soaked morning, which creates some mystery but requires alot of patience and focus to appreciate. Just talking about it that way makes me like it even more but definitely excited to crack the GG to better acquaint with the voice of this producer.

(FINAL SCORE 84/100pts)

(photo from winery website)

A view of the slopes at Clemensbusch's Marienburg vines nestled in for the winter.

To contrast the clean glasslike quality of the Clemensbusch I reach down to the cellar to grab this bottle that I have sipped a few times since finding it at a tradeshow where the rep from Broadbent selections was pouring it. Its quite the counterbalance to the other, this one is weighty, mouthcoating with unctuous fruit and vibrant punchy flavors.

the wine: Dr. Hermann Urziger Wurzgarten Kabinett 2021

My Thoughts:

Pours a white gold with great clarity and a tiny spritz of bubble clings to the sides of the glass. Nose has some classic petrol diesel fumes from the start but its gently hugged by some juicy stonefruit, soft red berry, wet stone, citrus peel and light candied fennel. Palate follows with unctuous white nectarine oozing with ripeness alongside tart granny smith apple and a classic interplay of tart and sweet. Palate is coated and lingers with a smorgasbord of fruit and a lingering of rockstone.

 

(FINAL SCORE 87/100pts)

(photo from winery website)

Are you into Riesling too? Stay tuned for a tasting of Finger Lakes offerings from Forge Cellars coming soon... 3 different terroirs from one winemaker and all the same vintage!