2010 - Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese, Joh. Jos. Prum

Pale golden yellow. Heady aromas of strawberry and nut oil, with a gentle hint of smoky botrytis. White peach fruit essences and mineral salts animate the creamily rich yet delicate palate. More concentrated than the other ausleses at this address, in more of a BA style. But with its strong acidity, this impressive wine will mature into a great auslese.

Around one-third of the fruit for a Weins-Prum 2010 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese was botrytized, yet the clarity and primary juiciness of apple, pear, and grapefruit on exhibit here could easily cause one to envision fruit entirely rot-free. A sense of honeyed richness emerges as this opens to the air, and a lush texture caresses even as the wines acidity refreshes. Wafting heliotrope and honeysuckle perfume; saliva-inducing saline savor; as well as a classic note of wet stone all add to the allure of an Auslese sure to satisfy in its understated way over the next quarter century. Bert Selbach bottled no trocken 2010 vintage Rieslings, and had nary a bottle of his (Ruwer-sourced) Gutsriesling left to show me in September, which, thanks to crop-reduction from devastating hail looked destined to be a situated repeated with vintage 2011. Fortunately, the quality of what he salvaged in 2010 from nature’s appetite was high. While the fruit was almost freakishly elevated in acidity – leading Selbach to double-salt de-acidify his musts across the board – he put the contrast with problematically acidic 1996 this way: “That year I picked Kabinett at 83-85 Oechsle; this year I had to utilize fruit over a hundred just to have any Kabinett.” Bottling took place in May, a month later than usual. Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. 800 596 9463