TN: 2001 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese and more

Got together with some of the crew yesterday afternoon for the first time since March. We gathered outside with some distance and thankfully the rain held off long enough to enjoy some bottles. I didn’t really take notes at all. The two wines posted below were mine, so I entered thoughts in CT. We also had a very excellent and geeky 1991 Peter Lauer Riesling Sekt Reserve and a Fiano from Guido Marsella that reinforced my revelation over the past two years there are so many interesting value plays in geeky-under the radar Italian whites. The '01 Prum was a last minute open as the afternoon wore on as I had it in my bag and we just had to open it. What a wine. It was great to get together with good friends and pretend like life was normal for an afternoon.

• 2001 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (10/25/2020)
  What to say about this wine? It is majestic, fresh, intense, lively, fierce, electric, subtle, comforting, moving, joyful and on and on. Gets better as it sits open. The '01 acidity plays off the background richness. It makes you happy to be alive. Another incredible bottle. This wine will probably outlive me and I’ll leave some for my kids to find out many years from now. (95 pts.)
• 1981 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (10/25/2020)
  I have two bottles. This is the first one opened. Either not the greatest of storage, or 81 just showing it’s age and suffering from a vintage that wasn’t that spectacular to begin with. Nose is the best part and very Prum WS: floral, slate and hints of background petrol. However, on the palate it’s just tired and kind of flabby. Drinkable, for the sake of science and curiosity, but not great at this point. We’ll see how the other bottle does in the near future.

Posted from CellarTracker

Love to see those older sekts bouncing around still! They are so much fun. Thanks for the notes.

Fun. I opened an 01 Prum WS Spatlese on Friday. Was singing.

just a really good day. the Sekt was lovely. Crisp apple and a nice non obtrusive dill note that made the whole thing seem alive and fresh. The Fiano was a great wine as well. Figs and a salty tone that screamed to be served with food.

again, just a really good day

You guys are just goading me into opening a 2001 Prüm Auslese.

I will remain strong!

Good for you, open a spätlese instead

Yep, kind of wish I gave this more time/attention. I’d like to sit with it as the lone bottle and get a better read.

Good call on the Fiano. It was a good day. Another one soon

Such a great wine. I would tell you to just do it, but I know the feeling. Unless you have a few, then fire away!

I have a bunch. Unfortunately they are buried - archeological dig buried.

I believe that 1981 might be a late release by the estate. I was in Las Vegas for a seminar back in 1999 or so and a friend and i visited a bunch of local wine shops to find what was interesting and found 1981-1982 Prum WS spatlesen at more than one. That night I dined with a colleague at the outpost of wolfgang puck’s Chinois that was in one of the hotels and the 81 was on the wine list. My dining companion was aghast that I insisted on ordering it but I assured him that unlike the CA chardonnays he usually drank this wine could age well. When I gave our order to the waiter he gave me a big smile and said he was going to tell the sommelier what we had ordered. I asked why and he said, “this is his favorite wine on the list and I think you might be the first person in the six months it has been on the list that has ordered it!”

The wine was excellent and a perfect accompaniment to the food.

Give in David. You know you want to…

I will help dig, for a small fee

How was the '91 Lauer? I had an '84 recently that I really enjoyed.

Any day with a 2001 Prum is a good day, but when you throw in a Staplehouse chicken liver tart, it is a great day!

That is the truth. Hope to see you soon, Mike

I just drank a 2001 auslese gk that leaked during shipping. Sadly, that leakage resulted in oxidation. It was a bummer.

Dennis,

if I may ask…what AP number, or in other words…white capsule, gold capsule, and if gold, regular, long or auction?

Cheers

Thanks, D! Re the 91 Lauer… super geeky, very unique, fascinating aromas clearly rooted in riesling but comes across as shockingly fresh for something with that age. Per Rob’s note above, there was green apple and a very pleasant dill note (as much as dill can be harmonious in riesling), lots of other funky jabs going on that I wish I had better captured (no notes taken). Comparing it to Champagne does it a disservice since this is a whole different beast. Ditto on comparing it vs. other (normal) rieslings! I really enjoyed it. But, yeah, that 01 Prum is on another level : )

Every time I have read about someone tasting an 01 Prum I have read that the bottle was amazing. I am glad to have a couple of bottles. Thanks for sharing the notes Dennis!

Pat- that stinks. I wish that never happened, especially with such a special bottle.

Thanks. Good move on having a coupe of bottles. you will be rewarded.

I’d be surprised if that were actually the cause of the oxidation. The bottles I’ve had have been super young and still needing lots of air or many more years to be near maturity. A truly oxidized GKA must have seen poor storage for a much longer time period than shipping.