Joh. Jos. Prüm, le riesling de Wehlen sur son cadran solaire
11 bouteilles du domaine, du Kabinett léger à l'AuslesePatience: that is the first thing a bottle from this house asks for. The wine comes out of the glass closed, almost mute, sometimes with a touch of gas and a yeasty smell that clears after an hour. Give it that time, and the Mosel appears: lemon, green apple, slate smoke.
The family has been making wine at Wehlen since the family division of 1911, on four neighbouring slopes. Three Prädikat levels are enough to find your way, from the light Kabinett to the Auslese for the end of the meal. The capsules, for their part, rank the selections: the gold one marks the finest of a harvest.
Joh Jos Prüm - Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Spätlese 2022
A great Mosel Riesling, pure and crystalline, where the finesse of the sugar is balanced by a vibrant minerality.
Joh Jos Prüm - Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese 2022
A magnificent Mosel Riesling, combining refined sweetness, crystalline tension, and profound minerality.
Joh Jos Prüm - Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese 2022
A superb Mosel Riesling, pure and crystalline, where controlled sweetness meets vibrant freshness.
Joh Jos Prüm - Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett 2022
A great Mosel Riesling, pure and crystalline, where the finesse of the sugar combines with vibrant mineral tension.
Joh Jos Prüm - Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Gold Capsule 2018
A Mosel Auslese combining aromatic intensity, controlled sweetness and crystalline freshness.
Joh Jos Prüm - Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 2023
A great Moselle Riesling, combining refined sweetness, vibrant freshness, and mineral purity.
Joh Jos Prüm - Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese 2022
A precise and crystalline Moselle Riesling, where controlled sweetness meets vibrant mineral freshness.
Joh Jos Prüm - Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett 2023
A Mosel Riesling of great purity, combining crystalline freshness, controlled sweetness, and mineral depth.
Joh Jos Prüm - Graacher Himmelreich Auslese 2022
A great Moselle Riesling, combining crystalline purity, controlled sweetness, and remarkable mineral tension.
Joh Jos Prüm - G. Himmelreich A. Goldkap 2022
A magnificent Moselle Riesling, pure and crystalline, where the finesse of the slate meets perfectly balanced sweetness.
Joh Jos Prüm - Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett 2023
A precise and crystalline Moselle Riesling, where the finesse of the Bernkasteler Badstube terroir shines through.
The house's cuvées and their terroirs
Quatre coteaux voisins, tous en schiste décomposé, tous suspendus au-dessus de la rivière entre Bernkastel et Zeltingen. Le Wehlener Sonnenuhr donne la ligne la plus fine, le Graacher Himmelreich un peu plus de chair, le Zeltinger Sonnenuhr une fermeté saline, la Bernkasteler Badstube le grain le plus tendre.
| Cuvée | Coteau | Ce que l'étiquette annonce | Prix à la bouteille |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett 2023Voir la fiche | Bernkasteler Badstube | Kabinett, demi-sec | 47,80 € la bouteille, par lot de 3 |
| Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett 2023Voir la fiche | Graacher Himmelreich | Kabinett, demi-sec | 55,80 € la bouteille, par lot de 2 |
| Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Spätlese 2022Voir la fiche | Zeltinger Sonnenuhr | Spätlese, moelleux | 61 € la bouteille, par lot de 2 |
| Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett 2022Voir la fiche | Wehlener Sonnenuhr | Kabinett, demi-sec | 64 € la bouteille, par lot de 2 |
| Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese 2022Voir la fiche | Graacher Himmelreich | Spätlese, moelleux | 65,20 € la bouteille, par lot de 2 |
| Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese 2022Voir la fiche | Wehlener Sonnenuhr | Spätlese, moelleux | 71,80 € la bouteille, par lot de 2 |
| Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese 2022Voir la fiche | Zeltinger Sonnenuhr | Auslese, moelleux | 73,80 € la bouteille, par lot de 2 |
| Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 2023Voir la fiche | Wehlener Sonnenuhr | Auslese, moelleux | 84 € la bouteille, par lot de 2 |
| Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Goldkap 2018Voir la fiche | Wehlener Sonnenuhr | Auslese, capsule dorée | 186 € la bouteille, à l'unité |
The capsule completes the reading of the label: at equal Prädikat and equal slope, the gold one marks a superior selection, drawn from the most concentrated berries. The estate signs a second one on the Graacher Himmelreich, at €168 a bottle, as a single bottle.
When to open a bottle from this house
These Rieslings live far longer than most whites: acidity and sugar protect them together. The estate deliberately releases young wines that are still closed, which leaves the whole curve ahead of you.
| Âge de la bouteille | In the glass | Ce qu'il faut en faire |
|---|---|---|
| Le millésime en cours | Pomme verte, citron, un perlant discret et une odeur de levure fraîche à l'ouverture | Ouvrez une heure à l'avance ou carafez : le nez se met en place tout seul |
| Deux à cinq ans | Le fruit rentre, l'acidité mène seule la danse, le vin se referme | The awkward age of these bottles, let them sleep |
| Cinq à dix ans | Mirabelle, lime blossom, the sugar melts into the texture | The widest window for a Kabinett or a Spätlese |
| Dix à vingt ans | Miel, camomille, cire, la note d'hydrocarbure du riesling mûr | Le moment d'une Auslese, sur un bleu ou un foie gras |
| Vingt ans et plus | Fruits confits, safran, une finale presque salée qui n'en finit plus | The preserve of the gold capsules and the great vintages |
Lay the bottles down at 10–14 °C, away from the light. Serve them cool, at around 8–10 °C: the more sugar there is, the more the cold does it good. The neighbours of these slopes are gathered on the Mosel and Saar page.
A bottle for every moment
From the aperitif Kabinett to the gold capsule for the cellar, here is where to start with this house.
Découvrir le style de la maison
The sundial slope in its lightest version: eight per cent alcohol, a straight acidity, a hint of sugar that rounds everything off.
Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett 2022 · 64 € la bouteille, par lot de 2Entrer par le plus tendre
The estate's most affordable cuvée, born on the slopes that overlook Bernkastel. Supple fruit, smoky finish, to be served well chilled as an aperitif.
Joh. Jos. Prüm Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett 2023 · 47,80 € la bouteille, par lot de 3Passer à table
A later picking, riper fruit, more open sugar. The partner for spicy cooking, roast pork and sweet-and-sour dishes.
Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese 2022 · 71,80 € la bouteille, par lot de 2Accompagner un foie gras
Baies botrytisées triées à la main : miel, abricot confit, et une acidité qui relance la bouche après chaque gorgée.
Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 2023 · 84 € la bouteille, par lot de 2Goûter le coteau d'en face
Le même style maison sur le cadran solaire de Zeltingen, un cran plus ferme et plus salin que son voisin de Wehlen.
Joh. Jos. Prüm Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Spätlese 2022 · 61 € la bouteille, par lot de 2Comparer deux terroirs
Graach gives more flesh and more immediate roundness than Wehlen. Open it side by side with the sundial Auslese to grasp the difference.
Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Auslese 2022 · 75 € la bouteille, par lot de 2Offrir une bouteille rare
La capsule dorée du millésime, sélection la plus fine de la récolte, sur le coteau le plus célèbre de la Moselle. Une garde qui se compte en décennies.
Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Goldkap 2018 · 186 € la bouteille, à l'unitéRemonter toute la vallée
From Bernkastel to the Saar, the regional page gathers the neighbours of these slopes and the other estates in the selection.
Page du rayon · Moselle et Sarre
Pourquoi ces vins se livrent lentement
The house owns its reductive style. The musts ferment with their own yeasts, slowly, in old oak foudres, and the wines stay on their lees until bottling. The result: a young bottle opens on a touch of gas and a smell of fresh yeast, sometimes sulphurous. That is the house signature, and it fades with air.
This reduction protects the wine. It explains why a Kabinett of eight per cent alcohol crosses ten years keeping its drive, and why an Auslese lasts far longer. So serve these bottles with a little notice: open them, decant if you feel like it, come back an hour later. The next day's glass is often the finest.
Comment on choisit
We taste every cuvée before listing it, and here we look for two things: the clarity of the fruit beneath the reduction, and the length of the saline finish. With this estate, we keep all three sugar levels rather than just one, because the choice is made on the meal planned as much as on taste.
L'équipe du Baroudeur du Vin
Ce qu'on nous demande sur Joh. Jos. Prüm
Kabinett, Spätlese ou Auslese : lequel choisir ?
The Kabinett is the lightest: lively, barely sweet, perfect as an aperitif or with smoked fish. The Spätlese comes from a later picking, the fruit is riper and the sugar more open, ideal at the table with spicy cooking. The Auslese sorts overripe berries: it is the glass for the end of the meal, with a blue cheese or foie gras.
Pourquoi ces bouteilles se vendent-elles par lot ?
The estate ships its cuvées by full cases and we keep that packaging to hold the price. The price shown on each listing is that of the bottle, and the sales format sits right beside it: packs of two most of the time, packs of three for the Bernkasteler Badstube. The two gold capsules are sold as single bottles.
Are these Rieslings sweet?
The Prädikat wines of this house carry real residual sugar, from a few dozen grams for a Kabinett to a good deal more for an Auslese. The acidity of the Mosel stretches it to the point of making it almost invisible: a Kabinett passes for dry at the table. That balance between sugar and acid makes the estate's whole reputation.
Que signifie la capsule dorée, Goldkapsel ?
The capsule serves as the estate's internal hierarchy. At equal Prädikat and equal slope, the gold capsule marks a superior selection, drawn from the most concentrated berries of the harvest. The catalogue offers two: the Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Goldkap 2018 at €186 a bottle, and the gold capsule of the Graacher Himmelreich 2022 at €168 a bottle, both sold as single bottles.
Combien de temps peut-on garder ces vins ?
Reckon on ten years at the very least for a Kabinett, a good deal more for an Auslese, whose finest bottles are drunk after several decades. Acidity and sugar work together as preservatives. The ageing table gives the full curve, including the closed phase these Rieslings go through around their third year.
My wine smells of yeast when I open it, is that normal?
Yes, it is the house signature. Fermentation with the yeasts of the place, long ageing on the lees, careful bottling: the young bottle first releases a note of fresh yeast, sometimes sulphurous, with a slight prickle. A spell in a decanter or an hour in the glass is enough, and the Riesling appears intact.
Qu'est-ce que le Wehlener Sonnenuhr ?
It is the slope that overlooks the village of Wehlen, on blue slate and very steep, at the edge of the Mosel. It owes its name to the sundial built in the vineyard in the nineteenth century to tell the pickers the time. The family farms some of the most highly regarded plots in Germany there, and it is the heart of its catalogue.
À quelle température servir ces bouteilles ?
Huit à dix degrés conviennent à toute la gamme : le froid resserre le sucre et met l'acidité en avant. Sortez la bouteille du réfrigérateur un quart d'heure avant de servir, et préférez un verre à blanc assez large, qui aide la réduction initiale à s'évacuer. Un reste se garde trois jours bouché au frais.
What is the difference between the estate's slopes?
Quatre coteaux voisins, tous en schiste décomposé. Le Wehlener Sonnenuhr donne la ligne la plus fine et la plus longue. Le Graacher Himmelreich ajoute de la chair et une rondeur immédiate. Le Zeltinger Sonnenuhr tire vers le salin et la fermeté. La Bernkasteler Badstube, la plus tendre, offre l'entrée la plus facile du domaine.