Clemens Busch Marienburg 'Fahrlay Reserve' GL, 2016
Clemens Busch Marienburg 'Fahrlay Reserve' GL, 2016
- 75cl
- 13%
- White Still
- Riesling
- Organic
- Biodynamic
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
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Optimal drinking window: 2026 - 2040
Clemens Busch works the impossibly steep slopes of Marienburg with biodynamic conviction, producing Rieslings that capture the essence of blue Devon slate. This 'Fahrlay Reserve' comes from a specific terraced vineyard within the greater Marienburg site, where old vines cling to precipitous gradients above the Mosel.
At ten years old, this Grosse Lage is entering its stride. We find it balances the mineral precision that makes Mosel legendary with just enough residual sweetness to soften its razor-sharp edges. The 2016 vintage brought ideal conditions for this style: concentrated fruit with the acidity to age gracefully until 2040.
The Marienberg vineyard rises at gradients approaching 70% on pure blue Devon slate that crumbles into the soil. This slate retains heat during the day and releases it slowly at night, allowing Riesling grapes to ripen despite the northern latitude. The poor, well-draining soils force the vines to struggle, concentrating flavours while the slate imparts that distinctive mineral backbone that defines great Mosel Riesling.
Mosel Grosse Lage represents the top tier of German wine classification, equivalent to Grand Cru in Burgundy. These steep, slate-dominated vineyards produce Rieslings with unmatched mineral precision and aging potential. The Mosel's combination of northern latitude, river-reflected light, and slate soils creates conditions found nowhere else on earth, yielding wines of remarkable tension between fruit and stone.
The 2016 Mosel vintage arrived after a growing season that kept growers on their toes right until the end. A warm, dry summer built excellent ripeness across the steep slate slopes, but September rains threatened to dilute what looked like a promising harvest. The key was timing: those who picked early captured concentrated fruit with vibrant acidity, while later harvesters faced the dilution lottery that autumn downpours often bring to this precarious region.
What emerged was a vintage of two personalities: the early-picked wines show focused intensity with that classic Mosel interplay between mineral precision and ripe stone fruit, while later harvests tend toward softer, more immediately approachable styles. The Rieslings display less of the racy, electric acidity that defines the region's greatest years, but they compensate with generous fruit and surprising richness. Most are drinking beautifully now and will continue to evolve gracefully until 2030, though the finest Spätlese and Auslese from top sites will reward patience well beyond that.
What the critics say:
"Aged for two years on the lees and bottled unfiltered, the 2016 Pündericher Marienburg Riesling Fahrlay Reserve is bright, pure and smoky on the nose that is beautifully refined and tropical, with fine slate and juniper aromas. Pure, straight and salty on the palate, this is a compact and tensioned Riesling with great purity, grip and lingering salinity. The finish is very long and crunchy, fresh and pure, with lots of energy and attractive astringency. Tasted in March 2019."
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