TN- Dinner with Dr. Katharina Prum, 2010, 2007, 2001 and 1988 vintages

Good evening all,

Fantastic evening at Fabi and Rosi with one of the most engaging winemakers I have ever had the privilege to meet along with all of the wonderful people who see Prum on its way from Germany to the retail shelves of Austin, Texas. Food quite excellent too- locals and anyone visiting Austin are strongly advised to give them a try. BYO allowed and great things happening in this kitchen. Perfect evening all around.

And now the wines in order of serving,

2001 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett

young pale yellow color, bright peach on the nose, hints of petrol, exceptionally elegant, white flowers, on the palate very light at the moment- ethereal, closed down, spiraling deft acidity on the tail end, great promise here but resting quietly at present, I am saying very little because there was little to see- but all of the suggestions of greatness are clearly there and just peeking out here and there at present.

(**)+, 2015+

2010 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese from magnum

pale champagne color, striking nose of citrus and peaches, quite floral as well- surprisingly so at such a young age, on the palate a wine of great scale elegantly clad in a silken robe, finessed, but with a strong building trail of acid on the finish of blazing white gravel and stone, a baby, extraordinary, stony, lucious, with air quickly becomes tight and a little wild on the back, mango notes emerge, 2 hours later- more open on the nose, pure peach and honeysuckle, on the palate bright and nimble, a dancer of great muscular power performing with sublime grace. I have long been a fan of Prum but have not taken the time to really understand them- blame it on my laziness over the more overt, yet also great, pleasures of the Nahe. Tonight was my watershed moment with Prum- not just because I took the time, but also because this is a truly extraordinary vintage for this wine. And as much reward as will come with cellar time, I will unashamedly open this a time or two again in the near future.

(*****), 2025++

2007 JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese

light yellow color, dark gravel on the nose, earthy petrol, on the palate closed, quite a lot of edgy stony notes, ripe blood oranges peeping out a bit, punchy notes, sleek and deceptively approachable but I would sock this away another 10 years or so, the acid here is also quite excellent but very much wrapped up in the depth of the fruit and so not as obviously on display as was the case with the 2001 and 2010 Prums tasted this evening, I think this was at a bit of an awkward phase- in one sense it was very fun and tasty, but there is a whole lot more to come here and it is not quite fully sorted out to the finest details.

(****)+, 2018+

2007 JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Goldkapsul

light champagne color, intense nose of petrol and brioche, textured, on the palate decadent thick honey toward the back, hints of citrus showing underneath but still very much in hiding, this was the most approachable of the young wines tonight- but also the most simple in presentation carried by that massive succulent fruit and nowhere near showing all the layering and nuance that will come with time, after tonight I am tempted to not touch a single 2007 from anyone in Germany for at least 5 more years.

(*****), 2022++

1988 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Goldkapsul

bright gold color, soaring peach on the nose, subtle, on the palate penetrating; layers and layers of honey, mango and peach wash softly over the palate, creamy white minerals, a very relaxed and subdued wine at first, creme brulee note with time, some blood orange, piercing yet supremely elegant, still a bit firm on the end which keeps everything balanced and in check, nothing here is overt- everything marries together beautifully and only after you just relax and let the wine guide you can you really begin to explore all the little nooks and crannies, earth notes, apricots, continued to build slowly and gently until the bottle was gone. Lovely, lovely wine.

****+, ready to drink and should hold nicely a few more years

I feel a bit like this is my official return to the wine game after yet another hiatus. I could not have asked for a greater welcome.

What an awesome tasting, and it must have been a treat to meet Katharina. Thanks for the notes!

What a great tasting!!! Can’t wait to try 2010 JJ Prum later this year I think :slight_smile:… Loved the '07 myself, and they are hidden at the bottom of cellar sleeping for at least another 7 years +…

Cheers

Any recent experiences with the 2006 JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Goldkapsul? I have an orphan bottle I’m thinking about opening for dinner this weekend to go with a foie gras course.

Thanks for the fine notes Tom. I really love their lineup in 10. Sounds like a heck of a lineup.

Cheers

Thank you all for your kind words- it was a great night, the company and the wines! If Katharina Prum ever comes to town and you get invited- accept! I have been dwelling on that 2010 Spatlese off and on all day. In the near future, definitely need to taste it again in a more prolonged format and toss in some GKA Auslesen as well. We don’t get much Prum here, but we get some of my favorites thankfully.

Fred, following is my TN for the LGKA Auslese from 2006. Yours LGKA perhaps? I ask because a decent supply of that one hit the US, so there is a chance. As I recall, LGKA is determined by a gold capsule with a white bar at the top and bottom versus a solid gold capsule. Take the following note with a grain of salt- I was in the middle of a great learning period of the region. Looking back I would probably hold this until towards the end of my initial suggested tasting range or even beyond if you just have the one. 2006 was forward, but Prum always loves a little aging I am finding.

Note from March 3, 2009

"2006 J.J. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese LGKA, AP #13

pale champagne color, lush nose, limes, petrol, on the palate very sweet yet with good acid that gives this better balance than most 2006s I have tried, very ripe on the finish, stones, cantaloupe, nice definition despite the fat of the vintage, 90 minutes- funky (in a good way) nose with a lot going though not yet fully defined, earth, black flint, on the palate incredible balance with a subtle white gravel underpinning the fruit, a day later no major changes, a 2006 for serious enthusiasts to get excited about.

(****), 2015-2020+"

Tom, thanks for the 2006 note. Yes, mine has the white bars on the capsule. With a note like that, there’s no way in hell that bottle is lasting until 2020+. Popping it this weekend for sure [cheers.gif]

LOL- I like your attitude. I am the same way- I cannot resist drinking many things before I am “supposed to”. It should be a wonderful drink- and if you have the chance to revisit it a few hours and maybe a day later I think you will have a great time with it.

Good news is that given how overly vintage sensitive most people are- you can probably find this again at some point for a song. Please post a note- would love to hear how this wine is doing.

Wow, this is my kind of dinner.

Good notes, Tom, many thanks. Especially glad to see the note on the '10, as my purchase of it is sitting in my hallway now waiting for a trip to offsite storage. On that wine, did you notice spritz on the palate?

Tom, or anyone for that matter. What’s the difference between LGKA and regular gold capsule? I just noticed that all my 2010’s have the white bars also…

Hi Matt, I know what you are talking about with the spritz, and no I did not get any on this bottle.

Fred- I have a good guess as to the difference between GKA and LGKA, but hopefully someone who actually knows can come along and reply. From personal experience, I tend to find the LGKAs a bit more concentrated/sweet. But that is not terribly conclusive. I would be curious to know if there are any legal requirements that go with the choice or if it is purely up to the winemaker.

Side note- this afternoon the host of the tasting gave me the leftovers of the 2001 Kabinett and 2007 Auslese GKA. So will try them again tomorrow and give 3 day updates to the original post.

Why no mention of sulfer smells on the younger wines??

Some people just aren’t bothered by it. When I open a young Prum I may notice it for a few minutes then don’t care.