J J Prum: the last great wine house priced reasonably.

[Brian_S_t_o_t_t_e_r]

Wow. I received my first offering of 2019 German wines this week and it was just from one producer - Falkenstein. Got an assorted case, but I am way behind you guys. Have you seen wines in the US from Zilliken or Schloss Lieser?

No. Panzer told me he isn’t getting Zilliken anymore since they’re being imported by Loosen Bros. now. Haven’t seen Schloss Lieser anywhere.

I’ve ordered Max Ferd Richter, Falkenstein, JJ Prum, Willi Schaefer (awaiting confirmation), and Vollenweider (awaiting confirmation).

Since Schloss Lieser is now imported by Skurnik Schloss Lieser - Skurnik Wines & Spirits I would think they would be easier to find. Distribution in this country of German wines has really gotten messed up the last couple of years.

Indeed.

I haven’t made an honest attempt to look to see who has the 2019s, since I’ve allocated my “budget” elsewhere. A couple 2016 Schloss Lieser Kabinett in the next couple weeks may change that.

[Cris_Whetstone]

I am surprised on how the discourse on LdH evolved. I agreed with the original inclusion of LdH on the list, and given that I have 2007 LdH 375s to be shipped once it cooled down, it was a sad report.

Anyone hve a different (i.e., postive) experience with LdH Tondonia 2007 - Cellartracker has a few strong reviews but inconsistent overall.

Personally, I thought it was a big step up from the '06. I wasn’t super impressed with the '06 but I only tried it once. I think the '07 is a better cellar candidate.

Now I really have to get one. I thought ‘06 Tondonia was quite good the couple times I’ve had it although not as good as ‘04, and just in the last 2 weeks I found ‘06 Bosconia had a clear step on ‘07 (with the newly arrived ‘08 on deck to try this week).

I found the Bosconia to be similar if not as extreme. '07 > '06. It’s interesting that they seem to release these on regular schedule 12 years post vintage, or at least have been recently while they hold the gran reservas when they feel they are ready. The fruit in the '07’s just seemed fresher and with more structure. I think the '06’s might have been better closer to vintage.

But it could have just been bottle variability. Maybe I had bad luck with the seals on the '06’s I opened.

[Chris_Seiber]

Let’s put it this way, in the last 22 vintages I have bought a low of 6 cases and a high of 64.

For yourself? What is your current inventory of Riesling?

64 cases in one vintage is more than two bottles of riesling for every day of the year.

[Jayson_Cohen]

I don’t know if it’s best but winecellarage has a bunch now.

That is where I got mine.

I had a bunch of 2019 JJP in my cart but bought some Alzinger Gruner and a half case of 2007 JJP WS Kabinett instead.

I just pulled the trigger on the 19 Prum WS Kab and Spat at Wine Cellarage.

Prices are up about 40% since 15. So taking out tariffs a 15% increase isn’t much.

Von Schubert and Schaefer are also very reasonable considering the track record. And Falkenstein is still stupid cheap even with tariffs and shrinking allocations.

[DanielP]

That is where I got mine.

I had a bunch of 2019 JJP in my cart but bought some Alzinger Gruner and a half case of 2007 JJP WS Kabinett instead.

I just pulled the trigger on the 19 Prum WS Kab and Spat at Wine Cellarage.

Prices are up about 40% since 15. So taking out tariffs a 15% increase isn’t much.

Von Schubert and Schaefer are also very reasonable considering the track record. And Falkenstein is still stupid cheap even with tariffs and shrinking allocations.

With all the Falkenstein allocations of various casks split up all across the city/country, it’s ridiculous how many different retailers I’ve had to use to cobble together a collection of the different cuvees I wanted.

[Michael_S_Monie]

Any thoughts on JJ Prum’s wines from 2003 and 2004? I seem to remember Broadbent thinking that they were not everything that they should have been.

[Jayson_Cohen]

Personally, I thought it was a big step up from the '06. I wasn’t super impressed with the '06 but I only tried it once. I think the '07 is a better cellar candidate.

Now I really have to get one. I thought ‘06 Tondonia was quite good the couple times I’ve had it although not as good as ‘04, and just in the last 2 weeks I found ‘06 Bosconia had a clear step on ‘07 (with the newly arrived ‘08 on deck to try this week).

I found the Bosconia to be similar if not as extreme. '07 > '06. It’s interesting that they seem to release these on regular schedule 12 years post vintage, or at least have been recently while they hold the gran reservas when they feel they are ready. The fruit in the '07’s just seemed fresher and with more structure. I think the '06’s might have been better closer to vintage.

But it could have just been bottle variability. Maybe I had bad luck with the seals on the '06’s I opened.

I had the exact opposite impression on the Bosconia. I found ‘06 more precise, fresher, and with more reserve in the tank. Which isn’t to say I didn’t get a weak bottle of ‘07 (maybe I did) or it won’t come together. (I had 2 ‘06s in the last 6 weeks or so with same impression of both.) I tend to have faith in anything LdH. Check back in 30 years!

The GRs are on a ~20 year release cycle now. The ‘01s should come out next year.

[JonathanG]

hey, the dude loves his Riesling! Fair play to him!

[Jayson_Cohen]

I had a bunch of 2019 JJP in my cart but bought some Alzinger Gruner and a half case of 2007 JJP WS Kabinett instead.

I just pulled the trigger on the 19 Prum WS Kab and Spat at Wine Cellarage.

Prices are up about 40% since 15. So taking out tariffs a 15% increase isn’t much.

Von Schubert and Schaefer are also very reasonable considering the track record. And Falkenstein is still stupid cheap even with tariffs and shrinking allocations.

With all the Falkenstein allocations of various casks split up all across the city/country, it’s ridiculous how many different retailers I’ve had to use to cobble together a collection of the different cuvees I wanted.

Same. Plus I will be making a trip to Boston at some point this fall to collect the spoils!

[Sarah_Kirschbaum]

Let’s put it this way, in the last 22 vintages I have bought a low of 6 cases and a high of 64.

For yourself? What is your current inventory of Riesling?

64 cases in one vintage is more than two bottles of riesling for every day of the year.

Fortunately, he’s likely not intending to drink them all in one year!

[G_Bienstock]

Any thoughts on JJ Prum’s wines from 2003 and 2004? I seem to remember Broadbent thinking that they were not everything that they should have been.

I really like the 2004’s. Plenty of acid which suits me just fine.

[Chris_Seiber]

Let’s put it this way, in the last 22 vintages I have bought a low of 6 cases and a high of 64.

For yourself? What is your current inventory of Riesling?

64 cases in one vintage is more than two bottles of riesling for every day of the year.

Fortunately, he’s likely not intending to drink them all in one year!

But he bought heavily in 21 other vintages too!

[Sarah_Kirschbaum]

For yourself? What is your current inventory of Riesling?

64 cases in one vintage is more than two bottles of riesling for every day of the year.

Fortunately, he’s likely not intending to drink them all in one year!

But he bought heavily in 21 other vintages too!

Sounds like a great cellar to me. Not too different from my own, except in the details.

[TimF]

So if you bought 6 cases in a bad year, average 10 cases in the others and had the 64 from the good year that’s over 3,000 bottles of Prum.

Is there anything for sale in your neighborhood?

[Jayson_Cohen]

I agree and not many fit the category of genre-defining yet reasonably priced. Some other possibilities though: Foillard, Lopez de Heredia, Huet, Baudry, and a smattering of other Germans and Austrians.

Don’t agree on Foillard as genre-defining. But LdH and Huet for sure.

Prices are stupid for Huet, especially since my grandkids and great grandkids will be drinking my stash in a ideal world assuming I don’t get to them first. And they are not hard to source on release or to back buy at a discount to release price. (Most recently, I back bought some ‘16s at a discount to release pricing. WHWC currently has good pricing on ‘08s, which is a killer vintage, in case anyone is looking.)

[Jim_Stewart]

fa·nat·ic
/fəˈnadik/
noun. a person whose enthusiasm or zeal for something is extreme or beyond normal limits
usage: David is a Riesling fanatic.

[Jayson_Cohen]

Any thoughts on JJ Prum’s wines from 2003 and 2004? I seem to remember Broadbent thinking that they were not everything that they should have been.

I really like the 2004’s. Plenty of acid which suits me just fine.

+1. I’ve largely left mine alone because I thought they needed time.

[Jayson_Cohen]

David, what percentage of your cellar is German Riesling? (I think I’m around 20%.)

[J_a_y_H_a_c_k]

I am a big fan of the A. J. Adam Dhroner Hofberg Kabinett. For a while I was picking up magnums for under $40 and a 750 is still under $25.

[DanielP]

Same. Plus I will be making a trip to Boston at some point this fall to collect the spoils!

Uhhh grab some more auslese. You know, for the rest of us.