"Aged sulfur-free on the lees for two years and bottled in December 2017, the 2015 Pündericher Marienburg Riesling "Rothenpfad" Reserve offers a terribly pure, complex and flinty bouquet of crushed stones and perfectly ripe, healthy Riesling notes, indicating great purity. Remarkably fine and salty on the palate, this is a highly elegant, complex and persistent Riesling with firm yet fine tannins and great concentration that doesn't give any sweet sensations. It's simply pure and fresh—actually challenging—kind of like a liquid Holy Grail Riesling for purists. The finish is concentrated and very, very long and stimulating."
97/100 Wine Advocate (Feb-2018)
The charming and self-effacing couple of Clemens and his wife Rita have gained a cult following over the past three decades for their laser-sharp, richly textured and terroir defined wines. Riesling is the king of grapes, the Mosel its most illustrious terrain and so produces its ultimate expression. Nowhere in the world is the identification of vine, winemaker and produce more precisely defined, and nowhere have we found Rieslings to compare with these.
The Rothenpfad section was mentioned in the historic Mosel wine map as among the best in the region. The red slate that dominates here provides the wines with an herbal-spicy note, which makes itself especially clear with a bit of residual sugar. In particularly hot years, the southeast-facing orientation is superior to those sites that face due south.
In the sweet versus dry debate, it’s worth noting that Clemens only uses natural yeasts, preferring each wine to find its perfect balance in each vintage.