Busch’s dry-tasting 2005 Riesling Vom Roten Schiefer – from (two) red slate parcels as the name implies – smells sweetly of citrus and pungency of wood smoke in a manner familiar from many red soil sites. Considerable fat and sheer density of raw material make for a very rich overall impression and a broad, luscious finish dominated by citrus flavors, yet mild in acidity. Incidentally, I tasted a couple of strikingly successful Busch 2004s as well – wines that were more than a year in barrel – but have economized on space by omitting them from this report. Also recommended: 2005 Pundericher Marienberg Riesling Spatlese trocken*** ($39.00; 86).Clemens Busch farms the steep slopes of the once-famous Pundericher Marienberg on the Lower Mosel entirely organically, which makes him unique in the region and a source of wonder for his fellow vintners. Most of his top wines are labeled with their old pre-1971 site names. (Increasingly many growers are managing to get away with this.) Best-known inside Germany for his dry wines, he has nevertheless crafted excellent nobly sweet Rieslings in the present as well. The style tends toward creaminess of texture and ripe, relatively low acidity, particularly at the dry end of the spectrum.Importer: Mosel Wine Merchant, Manhasset, NY and Trier, Germany; tel. +49 (0) 651 14551 38