The new 2023 JJ Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett is medium dry and as juicy as can be. Loads of juicy apple, green pear, white peach, wet stone, acacia and other white flowers. Long on the palate, beautifully balanced between the acidity asks sweetness it’s a lovely Riesling though more expensive than others in the same vineyard. The Minerality is so impressive. — 4 days ago
Had at dinner with a warm bacon salad and a medium filet medallion.
Drinks nice by itself too - subtle sweetness — 19 days ago
One of the best evenings of wine I’ve had this year, and it was just focused on this duo. Opened as inspiration for this year’s red pick at Miao Lu (a name to remember for those reading. I’ll say it here first - some of the best Pinot’s and Chard’s in the world will be coming out of this project high up in Yunnan!), and they both gave great context to the task.
When I harvested with Klaus-Peter in 2017, the vineyards bore the scars of hail, every last one of them. The damage was manifest in what we came to call "hail berries" (misshapen berries). To my untrained palate, they tasted perfectly fine. Naturally, I asked KP why we were discarding them, and his response, while not entirely unexpected, was still astonishing (paraphrasing of course): "I don't need to know precisely what they do," he said, "but if there's even a chance they might diminish the wine by 1%, they're gone. And these? They look capable of much worse."
That unyielding spirit of his was, I must admit, my torment at Abtserde, the vineyard hit hardest by the hail. We spent an entire day sorting and picking a single row - granted, the rows were long, but the pace was glacial. The true enemy, though, wasn’t the relentless sorting, but the wasps. Those little demons made an already grueling task even more daunting, dodging their stings as we plucked berries one by one, like selecting pearls from a troubled sea. What we ended up with were, quite literally, tiny gems - "caviar" berries of purity. By day’s end, the sight was something to behold. Despite the torment, the hard work was unquestionably worth it. The 17’ Abtserde is my wine of the vintage.
I’ve had the 17’ Abtserde on numerous occasions but this takes the cake as the best (note to self: best to decant a young Abtserde hard). It is a marvel of purity and depth, with its nose evoking Meyer lemon, iodine, chalk, and flint. These aromas reappear on the palate with a nearly overwhelming intensity, blending piquant brightness and mineral-rich concentration. With more air, a floral, bittersweet herbal note very typical of the vineyard appears (smells like the place even). As the evening unfolded, the wine seemed to grow younger, each glass more lively than the last. The final sip was almost painfully austere, like drinking pure limestone, its explosive palate held together by sharp acidity and a palpable, phenolic grip. The finish seemed endless. One of my best Keller experiences this year. — a month ago
Lyn Farmer
Much topper flavors that in the 2023 Kabinett tasted alongside, but this wine is not that much sweeter. Instead the lime, green apple and pear of the Kabinett are replaced with vibrant peach, apricot and a touch of green pineapple. Mango and papaya hover in the miss with vibrant honeysuckle, wet stonestone and flint. Vibrant acidity frames the abundant fruit - it’s a real triumph but needs three or four years to really show its depth and intensity. Lovely wine and incredibly long on the palate. — 4 days ago