J.J. Prum: the stunning 2019s

19 Oct 2020

'We have no complaints'

A thrilling set of wines that marry delicacy and intensity, elegance and energy. For almost a century, J.J. Prum has set the stylistic template for racy, piquant Mosel wines. Prum's wines are also known for their longevity and graceful maturation - or as Katharina Prum puts it, they are 'wines to be enjoyed at many stages'. Katharina is the fourth generation of Prums to hold the reins here, since the winery was founded in 1911 - though its roots go back much, much further. By the 1920s, Weingut J.J.Prum had established itself in the front rank of German wines, and has remained there ever since.

The family's holdings encompass various vineyards, but the jewel in the crown is their large section of the Wehlener Sonnenuhr. From across the Mosel, this steep, stony, south-west facing vineyard towers over the village of Wehlen and the Prum winery, and is one of the region's top sites. Phylloxera always struggled to get a hold in these slate soils, and a majority of the estate's vines remain ungrafted, to this day. The Prums are always among the last of their neighbours to harvest - Katharina prefers a long ripening season to intensify the aromas of the grapes.

2019 saw a long, hot growing season. September rains made picking dates tricky, but they also brought some welcome freshness and a cool, savoury side to the fruit to counterpoint and complement the ripeness. Up and down the Prädikat range, the wines are fresh, vivid, low in alcohol. The Kabinett is light and crisp. With a savoury, mineral side to it, even the Auslese has a natural affinity with food. The Goldkapsel (GK) is richer and more concentrated, stunning beside dessert or cheese. In her measured, scientific way, Katharina sums up the year: '2019 is really a great vintage. We have no complaints in any respect.' /NT

Offered subject to confirmation; available November 2020