At a glance

Producer

Joh. Jos. Prüm

Region

Mosel, Germany

Grape variety

Riesling

Wine type

Dessert

Body

Light-bodied and Delicate

Sweetness

Sweet

Typical price

$180-$320 USD (750ml, typical global retail range as of 2024)

Tasting profile

Aromas of white peach, ripe apricot, honeycomb, slate, and orange blossom. Palate delivers vivid citrus and orchard fruit with a crystalline precision, racy acidity, nuanced botrytis sweetness, and a long mineral finish.

Evolution: Will develop richer tertiary notes of marmalade, candied citrus, petrol, and spice as it ages. Acidity and sweetness will remain in balance; texture will become silkier.

At peak: Full integration of fruit, acid, minerality, and honeyed botrytis, with crème brûlée, saffron, dried apricot, and complex slate undertones.

Structure

Acidity

High

Tannins

None (white wine, Riesling has negligible tannins)

Alcohol

Low to moderate (typically 7.0-8.5% ABV)

Aging potential

Outstanding (20-40 years in ideal cellar conditions)

Drinking window

Peak drinking

2023 to 2045

Optimal window

2020 to 2048

Current status

Ready to drink

Current condition

Fresh, focused, youthful but starting to show added layers of complexity

Joh. Jos. Prüm Goldkapsel Auslese from Wehlener Sonnenuhr is a classic long-lived sweet Riesling, prized for extreme precision and capacity to age for multiple decades. The 2013 vintage was marked by cool conditions and extended hang time, producing wines with electric acidity and exceptional purity. Its concentration, natural preservation from acidity/sugar, and impeccable track record mean this wine peaks slowly and gracefully up to and beyond 30 years post-vintage.

Food pairing

Foie gras, paté, blue cheeses (Roquefort, Stilton), Thai or Sichuan cuisine, lobster with citrus beurre blanc, fruit desserts, or simply as a meditation wine.

Serving

Decant

Not required

Sustainability

Sustainability score: 4/10

Traditional vineyard management with some integrated pest management (IPM); minimal synthetic intervention but not certified organic. Vineyard steep slopes hand-harvested. Standard packaging (glass bottle, cork closure), no lightweight bottle initiative. Limited public information about energy or water use policy.

Joh. Jos. Prüm is a historic, family-owned Mosel estate practicing careful farming and minimal intervention winemaking but does not hold formal environmental certifications and provides little public detail on energy, water, or carbon management. Their traditional methods (hand harvesting, minimal spraying relative to conventional estates) offer some environmental benefit, but lack of certification and shipping impact keep the overall sustainability score moderate to low, especially for overseas consumers.