Product Description:
The Mosel’s most iconic site, in a format built to age. Joh Jos Prüm’s 2023 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett in magnum is a true statement piece—capturing the ethereal delicacy of this revered site with the added depth and longevity of a 1.5L bottle. Wehlener Sonnenuhr is Prüm’s flagship vineyard, a dramatic slate-covered slope with perfect south-southwest exposure and a history as steep as its gradient. The name itself comes from a sundial installed in 1842 by a Prüm ancestor—a fitting symbol for a wine that unfolds beautifully over time.
This Kabinett is a masterstroke of harmony and elegance. Expect aromas of honeysuckle, white peach, and a kiss of lemon zest. The palate is pure silk—light-bodied but finely structured—with tension between its soft sweetness and crystalline acidity. The mineral cut from the blue slate soils is unmistakable, giving length, focus, and ageing potential.
Ideal for the cellar, celebrations, or generous tables, this magnum offers a time capsule of Mosel beauty—delicate now, glorious in years to come.
The Maker
The Prüm family story in the Mosel dates back to 1156, beginning with was Johann Josef Prüm (1873 - 1944) who founded the estate in 1911. By the mid-1930s Johann Josef’s son, Sebastian, forged the distinctive style of the Prüm wines. From 1969, the imitable Dr Manfred Prüm would elevate Joh. Jos. Prüm to even greater heights, today the estate is run by Manfred’s daughter Katharina Prüm who watches over 13.5 hectares of vines on the harrowing slate-rich slopes of the Middle Mosel. In The Wines of Germany, Stephen Brook writes “With the rise of so many excellent winemakers in the Mosel, one might have supposed that Joh. Jos. Prüm, with its profound conservatism, might have been overtaken and left behind. Not a bit of it. The Estate remains where it has been for decades: at the summit.” Which begs the question, what is the secret to J.J. Prüm's continued success? How do they stand out among top Mosel producers? It’s all about their exceptional vineyards: old vines at great sites, keeping the lowest yields, daring but calculated late harvesting, and a careful selection of the finest berries.
Joh. Jos. Prüm's vineyards are at forefront of the estate's success. Their holdings include vineyards - Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Graacher Himmelreich, Bernkasteler Lay, Bernkasteler Badstube and Zeltinger Sonnenuhr. All of these sites are exclusively dedicated to growing and harvesting Riesling grapes for Joh. Jos. Depending on the specific vintage, the average annual production of wine is typically between 10,000 to 13,000 cases.
The Vineyard
Prum’s four key vineyards are all located on the same continuous slope, all on a mixture of grey and blue Devonian slate soils with varying south-to-south westerly aspects. Positioned in the heart of Mosel the vineyards are named from south to north: Bernkasteler Badstube, Graacher Himmelreich, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, and Zeltinger Sonnenuhr. These vineyards have been in continuous production for some 2000 years.
The major differences between the sites have to do with the variation in the aspect (from south to southwest) and the steepness and the depth of the soil. These are subtle differences, but make for wonderfully distinctive wines. Of course all the vineyards of J.J. Prüm are renowned, but the majestic Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard that is the most famous. The revered site lies opposite the village of Wehlen and the Estate owns seven hectares—largely planted to ungrafted wines—which has very thin topsoil over Devonian slate (in some areas of the vineyard the plants grow out of pure rock!). Wehlener Sonnenuhr has the highest pure stone content of all the Prüm vineyards, and along with neighbouring Zeltinger, the steepest of Prüm’s vineyards—with a dizzying 65-70% gradient in places. Wine writer Stuart Pigott summarises perfectly, “In top vintages the Wehlener Sonnenuhr yields the richest, silkiest, most seductive wines on the Mosel. The fame of these Rieslings is inextricably linked with that of the Joh Jos Prüm estate.”
Tasting Notes
NOSE
– Delicate and lifted
Honeysuckle, white peach, and lemon with a slatey undercurrent.
PALATE
– Sleek and refined
Silky stone fruit, zesty citrus, and salty minerality in perfect sync.
FINISH
– Elegant length
Long, cool-toned and stony with pristine structure and poise.
Reviews & Accolades
“Super elegant and super filigreed, with ravishing aromas of honeysuckle, white peaches and Asian pears. Incredibly refreshing, but also incredibly silky on the light-bodied palate. Then comes the extremely long and precise finish in which floral and wet‑stone elements are almost perfectly interwoven.” – James Suckling (via Stuart Pigott), jamessuckling.com, 96 points
“The 2023 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett is deep, pure, fresh and slatey on the precise, coolish and also floral nose. Mouth‑filling, rich and dense on the palate, this is a round and juicy, very mineral, stimulating, savory and saline wine with fine, stimulating grip and an aromatic, well‑structured and relatively dry finish.” – Stephan Reinhardt, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 94 points
“The palate is sleek and contoured, vividly fine, with cool, salty slate. Its blue, cool aspect shines with yellow lemon, creating a gorgeous complementary accord that accentuates absolute elegance.” – Anne Krebiehl MW, Vinous, 94 points
Finer Details:
Style - White Wine
Varietal - Riesling
Country - Germany
Region - Mosel
Vintage - 2023
Bottle Size - 1.5L
ABV - 8.5%
Closure - Cork
Sale
Sale
