TN: J. J. Prüm, Truchot, Egon Müller

1997 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (7/5/2019)
Elegant, pure, drinkable, refreshing, and more, the ‘97 Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese was at a perfect maturity point. Still showing fresh fruit, but also aged elements both aromatically and texturally, it had shed baby fat, and revealed its stone cut body, only accented by sweetness, making it a perfect dinner wine.

1998 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (7/5/2019)
Predictably richer, sweeter and deeper than the ‘97 Sonnenuhr Spatlese that preceded it, this was also at a fine maturity point, with surprisingly more slate expression, despite the additional richness. Gliding through the aging process, some botrytis expression added spice to the classic lemon cream of Sonnenuhr. Twenty plus years of age, and neither wine seemed anything beyond well developed. Fantastic showing.

2003 Joh. Jos. Prüm Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (7/5/2019)
Following the spectacular showing of the ‘97 Sonnenuhr Spatlese and ‘98 Sonnenuhr Auslese, this was still a bit of a grump teenager. Still it had lovely apple and cherry fruit, and a distinct note of vanilla creme brulee. Moderately sweet, and starting to reveal some backbone, this needs another four of five years in the cellar to evolve and open up.

2005 Domaine Truchot-Martin Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos Sorbes Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru (7/5/2019)
Of course this was too soon, but allowing the wine an hour of air worked wonders, as it opened up to an elegant red fruit and herb with robust, almost meaty undertones. The palate was a study in grace, the tannic structure only surfacing near the finish, but always holding things in place. Medium weight and long in the finish, the last glasses were of course the best, as the aromatics became more pronounced and delineated. We all had a few ounces sitting in our glasses for another hour or more, returning for another sniff, and very small sips, as we extended what was a lovely experience.

Our wine earlier in the afternoon was…
2007 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (7/5/2019)
Currently in a somewhat closed phase, as many 2007s are to my palate. Air helped, and the crystalline elegance of Muller was fully apparent. Crunchy fruit, and a deep mineral base promise even more several years down the road. The depth is there, it just needs to unfurl.

Posted from CellarTracker

what sweetness level are the Kabinetts of this wine typically? does it vary drastically or are they consistently in a similar category?

I am no expert, as I rarely put out the required coin, but I have never had an Egon Muller Kabinett that I thought of as a “sweet” wine.

There are others on this board with far more experience than I, but I’ve often felt that Egon’s kabinett and spatlese served as home to the botrytis grapes that didn’t make it into the big money wines. And some of the dry wines from the late 80s were downright awful. But I’ve thought the recent vintage kabinett have been proper kabinett and delicious. The alte reben kabinett is really good. It will be interesting to see how they respond when Keller breaks their kabinett price record at the auction this year.
A

Quite probably the least interesting aspect of wine, any wine, to me.

What aspect is that?

Anything to do with auction prices.

Awesome for you if you don’t have to pay attention to price. But I have limited resources so I have to be interested in the price at which wines are sold and I have to make relative value decisions. For something like this, the auction price is the lowest price at which it will ever be sold (by definition, unless a buyer at auction is willing to sell at a loss), but no hard feelings to those who don’t have to worry about price.
A

Your misunderstanding of David’s point is of epic proportions. Kindly consult post #3 for proof.

What was David’s point Tom? Post 3 appears to be about whether Egon is reliably within Pradikat. Enlighten me.
A

Here is post 3, so you can clear up the EPIC misunderstanding:

David rarely pays the high prices required to buy Egon’s wines.
You suggest that he doesn’t have to worry about price simply because he doesn’t care about the German auction prices.

What’s the confusion

I got the impression he just meant that he’d rather pay attention to enjoying the contents of the bottle than an auction record.

Nope - I’m suggesting that if price is truly the least interesting thing about wine then you must be able to ignore it.

I would too.
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Of course… if you’re not an auction buyer in the first place, which is obviously the implication.

The wine I’m taking about is a wine that is only sold at auction. You are either an auction buyer or not a buyer at all. I suppose there is a bit of a secondary market, but given that the wine is initially sold at auction, and the producer can never sell at less than the auction price, I’m not sure what it means to be a buyer other than an auction buyer. You are always subject to the auction price, I think. Are you sure you understand how the wine I’m talking about - the Egon Alte Reben Kabinett - it sold?

Yes, and the regular kabinett, which I assume is what David is drinking, and for which he rarely puts out the required coin, is not an auction wine.

Huh. Did not realize that his response, which quoted auction prices, to my post about an auction wine, was about the non-auction kabi. Thanks for clearing that up Daniel!
A

Yikes