WTN: 2009 Clemens Busch Marienburg Rothenpfad GG

I don't drink a lot of Clemens Busch or a lot of Mosel GG, but this was delicious and well worth further exploration. Full throttle intensity from the moment the wine approached my palate, and although it is definitely ripe and full it is not really 'heavy' or 'rich'. The ripe spicy flavors are undergirded with earthy bass and acidic lift, but it dances a fine line with all these elements and manages to pull it off wonderfully to my tastes. I definitely wanted to keep drinking more and more.

The only problem is the price. I bought it in Germany for 25euros, which is a respectable price. I see it goes for $70-80 in the US, at which point I'm waiting until I return to Germany to buy more.

[David M. Bueker]

GG pricing is a problem internal to the genre. Donnhoff GGs go for $50-$60, which makes it very hard for me to justify the pricing for Clemens-Busch, Rebholz or others in the elite pricing strata.

Well in all fairness it might be inherent to the genre as represented in US wine retail. Which is of course what is relevant to those of us in the US, but it does involve factors beyond the genre. 25euros at German wine retail is not out of line with other high quality wines, off dry or dry, which makes me suspect that it leaves the cellar at prices similar to other high quality wines, but then the proportion gets out of whack later in the chain. I don't know why? Supply/demand relative to other wines?

Regardless, at $70-80 I don't need to drink this wine, as fun as it was.

[David M. Bueker]

Going back to my Donnhoff example, I think various importers are overplaying their hand. $50-$60 is in line with fine dry white wines such as CFE or some of the Austrians. $70 or $80 really is as well, but just tacks on $20 for no added benefit.