TN: 2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett

• 2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/30/2020)
  Orchard fruit, even some apricot, honey, and a little kaffir lime on the nose. Ample and ripe, more of a spatlese in kabinett clothing with broad palate presence for its pradikat with more yellow orchard and pitted fruits on the palate. This is Baroque for kabinett, and lacks acidity and is more fruit than soil driven at tis point. That said, there is a good feel of W-Sonnenuhr soil, but it sits behind the forward fruit and RS at this point in time. It’s well balanced and rich, but lacks complexity and focus to be outstanding. I’d prefer more acidity. This is a wine showing the character of a vintage where kabinett was not the strong suit. It’s drinking well, and I doubt it will fall off a cliff anytime soon, but I also doubt it will improve. 89

On the upside, it was a solid pairing with shrimp ceviche. (89 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker


Thanks for reading

2007 is a more hedonistic vintage, but I bet it will come around more to your liking in time.

I used different words to say nearly the same thing last year, Todd:

2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (8/31/2019)
– double-decanted 3.5 hours before initial taste –
– tasted non-blind over approx. one hour –

NOSE: classic Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr aromatics; lychee gummy candies; moderate petrol; expressive aromatics.

BODY: medium-light bodied.

TASTE: soft; mature; just a bit past peak.

Past peak? Prüm? Please…

I give you props for consistency, David; you said the same thing last year.

It remains consistent
It remains consistent
It remains consistent

No way a Prum 2007 is past peak. Its Spatlese in Kabinett clothing…might be almost Auslese must weight.

Now I need to do a Frank Zappa reference.

I had the 07 Spatlese and Auselse ealier this year and they were very similar. Very “classic” WS flavors. I didn’t notice the lack of acidity as much, but that likely has more to do with my personal preference and because I was likely expecting a bit of a more fruit/RS forward experience from the spatlease and auslese. I really enjoy the 07 vintage to be honest. It’s not everyone’s favorite but I have enjoyed the 07’s I have had. I have not had the Kab yet though. Thanks for sharing.

The Graacher Auslese GK 2007 showed beautiful acidity. It was a stunning wine.

I sense with this thread that we are once again in the land of acid extremes. There seems to be a group of wine drinkers for whom balance is a sin. Acidity needs to be obvious/blatant for them to be satisfied.

2007 is one of my favorite German vintages. I think they tend to be richer, but certainly still well balanced, in my opinion. Also, the few Auction bottlings I’ve had have had really nice, high acid for the vintage.

Leaving aside the question of balance, guilty as charged.

But in my defense, it’s not just Riesling (or, for that matter white wine). So at least I’m consistent.

Thanks for reading everyone.

David, I hope it does come around. '07 is my wedding year and I went long on my favorite German producers. I liked the wines on release, and admit I prefer a leaner year like 08 or 04 over 07 for kabinett. I adore, and it is hard not to love 01, 12 which for me are vintages that embody the essence of harmony. I think '07 is more suited to higher pradikat wines. The G-H GKA Mark refers to is pretty terrific in 07. Recent '07 Donnhoff Felsenturmchen and Kupfergrube spatlesen were youthfully delicious to me.

I am not sure if you were referencing me with regards to the land of acid extremes and obvious acidity being necessary to be adequate for some people, but I would beg to differ it was referring to me. You and I both have drunk a fair amount of off dry riesling, and I very much appreciate your palate and opinions. I do like acid driven wines. When I’m in the mood, I don’t mind a laser sharp enamel cleaning wine to cut through a 110 degree AZ summer day. That said, when I drink fruity styled riesling, I desire balance. One can argue what balance means to different people. At least for me, when I am wanting to drink a riesling Kabinett I would like freshness, and I think that one could say that acidity is requisite to attain that freshness. Not acidity that screams form the front row, but acidity that lifts and equilibrates the other aspects of the wine.

All that said, in this particular wine, I think that the acid is inadequate for ideal balance. I hope that it loses some of its baby fat and morphs into something less obvious and plump. Older Prum’s usually surprise to the upside, and I’ve got enough of these that I am going to find out for sure. What I think this wine is, is an appropriate representation of a vintage that favored higher pradikat wines. I would say the perfect fruity riesling has few noticeable singular aspects with regards to RS, fruit, soil, and acid, but rather comes into a cohesive whole. As Helmut Donnhoff would say “alles klingt”. This wine “hat nicht geklingt”. There was a hole in the wine, and it, to a degree, fell flat. Still enjoyable and interesting, but lacking the harmony to make it really special

YMMV

Thanks for reading everyone and stay healthy.

You were not one I was referring to.

Thanks for answering David,

As an update, a little Sunday breakfast Kabinett this morning. A single glass was left in the bottle in the fridge since Tuesday. The wine has lost some of its baby fat from 5 days ago, has more kaffir lime and slate, and has gained a little more focus. I suspect you are correct that this will come together in time, and I’m looking forward it.

Hope you have a good rest of your weekend!

“Balance” is a subjective term.

Where a wine’s peak may be is — you guessed it — subjective/personal.

Personal preferences are … well … personal. It’s “interesting” when others get their knickers in a bunch over things like this. (see: my signature)


David has developed a fetish for denigrating my personal preference for high-acid wines; I find it amusing.

I tasted this wine three years ago, and the only note in my book that it was more Spatlese than Kabinett.

It is not just you. You are just part of the unbalanced cult.