Introduction
Joh. Jos. Prüm’s vineyards are ideally located opposite the village of Wehlen, at the centre of the famous sweeping run of vertiginously steep slopes which are responsible for some of the world’s greatest and most age-worthy white wines.
The western side of the Mosel is flat, whilst over on the eastern bank, the gradient reaches 65% in places. Directly opposite JJ Prüm’s riverfront house lies the Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard, its name standing proud in large white letters on a lower terrace and in the centre, the famous sundial from which it takes its name.
Our tasting notes for the 2021 vintage are from a tasting hosted at Pushkin House, hosted by Katharina Prüm.
The 2021 harvest at JJ Prüm was challenging, with the team having to re-visit parcels several times to ensure grapes were optimally ripe – picking started on the 11th October, and continued until the 15th November.
Most wines only reached Kabinett and Spätlese levels of concentration and owing to the low amount of Botrytis, only small quantities of Auslese were made. Therefore, the only downside to this wonderful vintage is that we cannot offer any Auslese Goldkapsel in 2021.
However, do not let this deter you, the wines are in many ways a return to the taut, ethereal and beautifully fresh vintages of decades past.
With all this freshness comes incredible ageing potential and enjoyment for years to come.
Neville Kirkpatrick
November 2022
THE 2021 VINTAGE
“We very much look forward to the cooler style of the 2021s, which we consider as a welcome alternation to the previous vintages.”
Katharina Prüm
December 2020 was overall more humid with water levels 46% above the average, with temperatures slightly above the long-term average too. The following months were cooler, with the lowest temperature in January being -6 °C and -10 °C in February.
Looking at both March and April, two facts are striking: firstly, both months saw below average temperatures with a total of eight frost days in March and seven in April respectively. Secondly, temperatures were approximately 2 °C lower than the long-term average. Despite being considered a cool month, there was one remarkable yet very short heat spike when temperatures climbed up to 27°C on March 31st.
Looking further into the growing season, budbreak and flowering occurred around 2 weeks later than average. In terms of humidity, the following three months certainly weren't about drought problems, rather the opposite. After slightly above average rainfall in May and June, the rain peaked in July with 130% more rainfall than average! This not only caused floodings (unfortunately the most severe ones in the Ahr valley) but also boosted vegetation, keeping the team quite busy with canopy management during the following weeks.
Approaching autumn, temperatures remained relatively moderate with the typical cool nights of the Mosel. Harvest kicked-off on the 11th October and lasted until 15th November. It was a very demanding harvest, with most parcels being visited multiple times in order to select individual berries at optimum ripeness. The highest concentration reached was a crisp Auslese level and only a small amount of botrytized grapes were picked.
THE WINES
BERNKASTELER BADSTUBE
Bernkasteler Badstube lies to the south-east of the Prüm house, facing back across the river towards Bernkastel Kues. The slopes here are marginally less steep than other parts of the estate (although steepness is all relative here!) and the vines are afforded longer exposure to the afternoon sun. The wines, consequently, have a tendency to be a little more flamboyant in youth, albeit with a marked mineral tension.
BERNKASTELER BADSTUBE KABINETT
Pale lemon in colour. An exuberant and zesty nose of limes and stone fruit. Texturally this is quite rounded, yet the wine still possesses the requisite acidity and slatey mineral character for it to feel precise. The most approachable of the Prüm wines in 2021 but will cellar beautifully.
Corney & Barrow Score 17+
Recommended drinking from 2023–2037
GRAACHER HIMMELREICH
The Graacher Himmelreich vineyard faces south-west and has deeper soils than Wehlener Sonnenuhr, which is often described as Graach’s older brother. This soil depth provides excellent water reserves. The wines display fine acidity, pronounced minerality, white flowers and spices. These tend to be earlier-drinking wines.
GRAACHER HIMMELREICH KABINETT
Pale lemon colour once again. Lots of tension here with a nose of crushed rock and fresh lime. Wonderful bright acidity on the palate which is complimented nicely by crisp notes of fresh pear. An elegant and precise wine but with impressive breadth too.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5+
Recommended drinking from 2023–2038
GRAACHER HIMMELREICH SPÄTLESE
The naturally cooler site of Graacher has produced a brilliant Spätlese in 2021. There is more depth here than in the Kabinett but still has good finesse. The nose is precise, flinty with charming notes of apricot and citrus. The palate is riper, but still has the 2021 vintage’s precision and elegance. There is an awful lot to like here.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5+
Recommended drinking from 2025–2048+
GRAACHER HIMMELREICH AUSLESE
There is richness here on the nose as one would expect from Auslese, but these notes of juicy yellow fruit quickly give way to a beguiling freshness and tension that brings everything into focus. The palate is again rich in fruit, but with a more citrus profile that makes the mouth-watering acidity even more compelling. Wonderful.
Corney & Barrow Score 18+
Recommended drinking from 2027–2046+
WEHLENER SONNENUHR
Lying opposite the family home, across the river, Wehlener Sonnenuhr is a fabulously sited and steeply sloping vineyard. It is the jewel in the Prüm holdings and one of the grandes dames of the Mosel. The name refers to a sundial constructed by Jodicus Prüm in the vineyard. There are five hectares of old, low-yielding, ungrafted vines here. An Einzellage (single vineyard plot), Wehlener Sonnenuhr produces wines defined by their warmth and impressive age-worthiness.
WEHLENER SONNENUHR KABINETT
This wine has excelled in 2021. A tense, nervous nose full of concentrated white peach, blossom and mineral notes that immediately make an impression. The palate is wonderfully textural and rounded with great density. Yet through that density there is a wonderful bolt of acidity accented by delicate notes of salt and smoke. Brilliant wine.
Corney & Barrow Score 18+
Recommended drinking from 2024–2039+
£180 /CASE OF 3 MAGNUMS, IN BOND UK
WEHLENER SONNENUHR SPÄTLESE
This is quite something in 2021… A nose of effortlessly pure fruit that with a bit of swirling reveals gorgeous notes of spring blossom, citrus and apricots. The intensity of the nose is matched on the palate with masses of concentrated fruit, a firm mineral backbone and beautifully judged acidity.
Corney & Barrow Score 18.5+
Recommended drinking from 2028–2049+
£205 / CASE OF 3 MAGNUMS, IN BOND UK
WEHLENER SONNENUHR AUSLESE
“Perfectly poised” was almost all I could think while tasting this. The nose is spectacular, powerful aromas of stone fruit with a touch of smoke. The palate has an almost waxy texture, with very concentrated white and yellow fruit. Impressive complexity at this stage too, with slatey mineral notes and a citrus finish that’s driven on by masses of acidity. A great vineyard at its best, I can’t wait to see how this turns out with some cellaring.
Corney & Barrow Score 18.5+
Recommended drinking from 2028–2049+
£230 / CASE OF 12 HALVES, IN BOND UK
£225 / CASE OF 3 MAGNUMS, IN BOND UK