Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Riesling, Spätlese, 2008

The Prums 2008 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese A.P. #14 auction lot displays a botrytis-induced leaning toward honey, malt, and caramel that are barely hinted at in the corresponding Auslese, as well as tropical fruit (mango, papaya) to compliment northerly apple, white peach, and quince. Creamy and delicate, with alluring brown spice and liquid floral accents, this lush, opulently ripe expression of its site preserves a remarkable sense of vintage-typical lift and refreshment in its soaring finish. A sort of ethereal yet hedonistically self-indulgent slate Riesling essence, it should retain its appeal for at least three decades. The Prums compare 2008 with 2004 and as such consider it a classic Spatlese year, with thankfully with more wine in the Kabinett range that this estate has seen in many years. And if you remain unconvinced after tasting the present collection that residually sweet Kabinett Riesling is capable not only of reflecting the full potential of great Mosel vineyard sites but also capable of profundity and greatness per se, then you never will be. The above having been noted, the range of Auslesen here this year, while small, is extraordinary. The 2008 collection also includes January, 2009 Eiswein from the Wehlener Sonnenuhr and Graacher Himmelreich which I did not taste. As in past reports, it should be noted that while there are multiple bottlings of Prum Kabinetts or Spatlesen from a given vineyard in any given vintage, the estate is at pains to insist that the differences are minimal, and I am not privy to the A.P. #s of most non-auction bottlings that I taste there, nor would I pretend to the ability to unerringly match a wine sampled later from a labeled bottle with the specific lot I had tasted previously at the estate. Various importers including: P. J. Valckenberg International, Tulsa, OK; tel. 918 622 0424 and Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA 800 596 9463