Germany's great 2019 vintage
"To sum up the prospects of the 2019 vintage in a nutshell, it could become the vintage of the century. No, honestly!"
Michael Schmidt - jancisrobinson.com
There are some completely gorgeous wines here - a dazzling array of J J Prüm's 2019s - that's why Dr Katharina Prüm and her father Manfred look so happy overlooking the Mosel from the Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard (Picture by Andreas Durst).
Tasting Notes by Jancis Robinson MW - jancisrobinson.com
Joh Jos Prum, Wehlen, Mosel
"Prüm's wines were notoriously unapproachable in extreme youth, but the 2019s are quite different and very welcoming, although they are likely to age just as long as wines made on this estate in the past. Katharina Prüm has capably taken over from her father Manfred. She rarely makes trocken wines, commenting 'occasionally we produce a trocken but it’s not our focus. They're fun but we concentrate on fruity styles which are super-versatile.' She went on to enthuse about drinking an Auslese in Hong Kong with dim sum, which she would happily eat three times a day"
JancisRobinson.com
Graacher Himmelreich 2019 Kabinett
£90 per 6 bottles
£108 per 3 magnums
Earthy nose. Bright fruit on the front palate with notes of currant leaves. Very juicy but still very slightly too raw and youthful for current drinking. (10%)
Drink 2021 to 2029.
17 pts.
Wehlener Sonnenuhr 2019 Kabinett
£108 per 6 bottles
£126 per 3 magnums
Very pale and greenish. Intense but reserved nose. Marked crystalline character with undertow. Much to chew on. Lots in reserve. Quite a bit of extract on the palate. Dry finish. (10%)
Drink 2022 to 2034
17++ pts
Graacher Himmelreich 2019 Spatlese
£114 per 6 bottles
£132 per 3 magnums
I'm quite aware of sulphur on the nose here. Very high level of acidity. Racy and bright-fruited though almost painfully tart at this stage. Great delicacy. Extreme juiciness. A mountain stream in a bottle? This really sings but isn’t nearly ready. (9%)
Drink 2026 to 2040
17.5 pts
Wehlener Sonnenuhr 2019 Spatlese
£132 per 6 bottles
£153 per 3 magnums
Very light, introvert nose. You need experience to judge this! Difficult to persuade this to unfurl. Quite an impact of ripe but delicate fruit on the front palate. And then a massive hit of acidity. It seems quite light on the end. Apparently a little lacking in extract. I'm sure, from past experience, it will be a great wine but on the basis of what I'm tasting now, I have to give it a less-than-exuberant score. (9%)
Drink 2026 to 2042
16.5++ pts
Bernkasteler Lay 2019 Auslese
£138 per 6 bottles
The first impression is of crystalline acidity. Then something quite mineral and massively lively in texture. Lots of quite open fruit – not heavy and very juicy indeed. So clean it's like a mouthwash. I could enjoy this already although I’m sure it will develop more subtle flavours. (8%)
Drink 2021 to 2034
17 pts
Graacher Himmelreich 2019 Auslese
£138 per 6 bottles
£162 per 12 halves
Water-white. Lifted, light almond nose. Broad and fruity. Light and very refreshing, lifted and delightful. Quite a charmer. Racy and almost chalky-textured. Light honey sensation but not at all heavy. (7%)
Drink 2026 to 2043
17.5 pts
Wehlener Sonnenuhr 2019 Auslese
£156 per 6 bottles
£183 per 12 halves
£177 per 3 magnums
Spontaneous-fermentation aroma. Great precision and extract. Really vibrant and with lots of convincing ingredients that are nothing like intermingled yet. But this is very promising – it is already entrancing on the palate! Just the sort of wine that could only be grown in Germany. Throbs on the finish. (8%)
Drink 2028 to 2045
18 pts
Wehlener Sonnenuhr 2019 Auslese Goldkapsel
£342 per 6 bottles
Fascinating mix of floral and honey aromas. Much more open than the Auktion version tasted alongside. Smoky, blackcurrant-leaf aromas. Interesting dry finish after the sweet start. Really edgy with great finesse. The finish is just a little sudden but it's a pretty impressive wine nevertheless. (8%)
Drink 2027 to 2045
18 pts