Joh Jos Prum Riesling Spätlese Wehlener Sonnenuhr,
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
German wine: a potential minefield of obtuse but very
specific labels, oddly shaped bottles, unfashionable styles
and highly variable quality. Given these factors, one could
be forgiven for wondering why anyone would bother with it;
after all, isn’t it all cheap, thin, sickly - sweet table
wine designed for only the most unsophisticated of palettes?
To think in this way though, as anyone who has been able
to look beyond the turgid supermarket Liebfraumilchs and
suchlike will know, is to ignore some of the finest and most
aromatic whites produced. And the Joh. Jos. Prum Riesling is
just one of these, possessing a character that is both world
class and uniquely German.
Kingsley Amis once stated that ‘A German wine label is
one of the things life's too short for, a daunting testimony
to that peculiar nation's love of detail and organization’
and it is easy to agree with him after a cursory examination
of this bottle. It is, however, simpler than it
initially seems; the first few words indicate the producer,
the next that it is made from the Riesling grape and is from
a late harvest (Spatlese), and the final words refer to the
location of the vineyard. Vintage, sweetness and alcohol
content are also included, so whilst it may seem pedantic,
it is more informative and less reliant on the consumer’s
personal knowledge than something truly arcane, like a
Bourgogne wine’s label.
JJ Prum has a number of vineyards, but Sonnenuhr, which
is situated opposite the town of Wehlen, is generally
regarded as its most prestigious. In common with most of
Germany’s finest vineyards, the vines are planted on
extremely steep slopes, helping to maximise exposure to
sunlight. The presence of the river also mitigates against
some of the dangers inherent in producing wine in a cool
climate. The soil itself is mainly composed of blue-grey
slate, which aids heat retention. The end result is a wine
with typically Germanic low alcohol and high sugar levels,
but with the necessary acidity to ensure that it will age
extremely well.
On the nose of our recommended vintage – the 2003 – there
is the expected (for those accustomed to these wines, and
the Rieslings of Alsace, at least) combination of petrol
fumes and white flowers. There is an almost fizzy quality on the palate – a consequence, perhaps of some
residual carbon dioxide – but there is a rich creaminess and
fine structure that belie the wine’s low alcohol content.
Interweaved with this are lime and apple notes that are
complemented by a firm minerally quality that seems to speak
of the slate dominated soil.
The interesting thing is how this wine will develop in
the bottle. It is so easily drinkable now, with such
delightful complexity, that it is tempting to ignore the
need for further years of cellaring and just to drink it
early. But to do so would be to miss the opportunity of
sampling a wine that will, with patience, demonstrate the
true potential of the often underrated Riesling grape. Patience will
be rewarded with an even more exotic array of flavours that should win over
even the most ardent German wine phobics.
