2007 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese

The Prum 2007 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese is intriguingly- as well as gorgeously-scented with peony, narcissus, heliotrope, mint, and fresh apple. Creamy and buoyant on the palate, it caresses and seduces with suggestions of lemon chiffon and vanilla flan, but then leaves a surprisingly adamant, stony, subtly zesty finish as if to put the taster on notice that there is a lot more here than meets the palate at such a youthful juncture. The characteristics of great Riesling from the Prum estate coincide with one of the most striking virtues of 2007 Mosel Rieslings in general, namely the ability to combine intensity of aroma and flavor with delicacy, and caressing richness with vivacity. In a sense, the best wines in this year’s collection are like Prum-squared in their distinctiveness and expressivity. Manfred Prum acknowledges good reasons for the widespread comparison of 2007 with 2004, and thinks the present vintage also shares the richness of 2005. Notoriously little attention is paid at this address to dry-tasting wines, and I was unfortunately not able to taste either a Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Spatlese trocken or a Bernkasteler Badstube Spatlese feinherb. Nobly sweet wines which I have not yet tasted include Wehlener Sonnenuhr auction Spatlese, gold capsule Auslese, and Beerenauslese; a Graacher Himmelreich long gold capsule Auslese, and a Bernkasteler Badstube Eiswein. Various importers including: P. J. Valckenberg International, Tulsa, OK; tel 918 622 0424 and Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA 800 596 9463