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joh jos prüm a century of excellence That the recently released 2011 is only the 100th vintage of this iconic estate may seem surprising given its legendary status and the far longer history of viticulture in the region. Frank Kämmer MS explains why its rise has been so rapid, identifying the key individuals, times, and wines of this remarkably talented family Dr Manfred Prüm with his daughter Dr Katharina Prüm. Photography by Jon Wyand, from Stephan Reinhardt, Reinhardt, Stephan from Jon Wyand, by Prüm. Photography Dr Katharina Prüm with his daughter Dr Manfred 2012). forthcoming Press, of California and University / Aurum Editions (Fine Wine Germany of Wines Finest The

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mere 100 years doesn’t seem nearly long enough government. The changes in governance of the region to reflect the unique position that the Joh Jos Prüm made it impossible for him to find a career like that of his A winery holds in German viniculture. When one forefathers, simply because most of these businesses ceased compares it to other historic icons of —such to exist, and his Catholic family did not want to cooperate as or Kloster Eberbach, with their centuries with the new Protestant regime. Henceforth, Sebastian of rich history—then 100 years seems an even shorter time. Alois Prüm concentrated his energies on becoming a But a look at the history of the Mosel region as a whole, and vintner. This is where the secularization of the clerical the fact that the Prüm family estate had neither aristocratic vineyards came to his aid: He now had access to the top nor ecclesiastical roots will go a long way toward explaining sites, which enabled him to become a very successful wine its seemingly short life. producer. In his book Das Moseltal zwischen Zell und Konz As is generally known, the highly valued wine culture of (1837), Christian von Stramberg wrote that Wehlen was “one the Mosel region was brought to fruition by the Romans, of the most delightful areas in the whole region’’ and praised most notably in the 3rd and 4th centuries, and wonderfully Prüm as “being among the first-rate producers.” extolled in the famous “Mosella” poem by Ausonius. What Also interesting at this time was Jodocus Prüm, isn’t so widely recognized is that the region later became Sebastian’s younger brother. Jodocus remained single all his a church state for nearly 900 years and that this had a life and gave much of his wealth and time to cultural causes, profound effect on the development of the viticulture after for which a charity in Bernkastel was founded in his honor the Middle Ages. From a d 902, the archbishops of Trier in 2007. It was Jodocus Prüm who had the famous Wehlen ruled the region, and the Church owned all the best sundial built on a rock face on the opposite bank of Wehlen vineyards, many of which are still known by their original in 1842, for which the Sonnenuhr vineyard has been religious names, such as Himmelreich (Kingdom of named. He also had a sundial built on another steep slope Heaven), Domprobst (Dean of the Cathedral), or Abtsberg a few hundred meters down the river at Zeltingen. These (Abbot’s Mountain). sundials were important to This situation ended in all of the vineyard workers, 1794, when the French allowing them to tell the time Revolutionary Army occupied during the working day. all of the German territories The next Prüm who was around Trier and set up the very important for the winery Departement de la Sarre. was Mathias Prüm, the son The region remained a part of Sebastian Alois, who was of France until the Congress born in Wehlen in 1835. of Vienna in 1815. The era of Mathias grew his father’s the French occupation was business very successfully, crucial for the vintners and in the second half of the because of the instigation of 19th century he owned almost the Napoleonic Code, which 17ha (42 acres) of vineyards, meant that church assets were released to the people. the largest private holding in the Mosel at this time, ensuring From then on, lay wine growers had access to the top that the Prüm name became internationally renowned. vineyards and were able to develop their estates from the Mathias Prüm died at the age of 54 in 1890. Local start of the 19th century. legend has it that he died of a lung infection after having The Prüm family history is much older. As early as rescued a child from the Mosel. He left seven children, and the 12th century, there was a Gerhardus Prüm in Wehlen. in 1911 each inherited a share of the vineyards, which is why A Peter Prüm came to the Mosel in the mid-16th century, several estates in the region today carry the Prüm name— and his name may be linked to the Abbey of Prüm, on the for example, SA Prüm, Weins-Prüm, and Studert-Prüm. Eifel mountain ridge north of the Mosel, which was of The eldest son of Mathias Prüm, Johann Josef Prüm great importance and power at the time of Charlemagne was born in 1873, and it was he, together with his wife (in the early 9th century). Franziska, who founded the now world-famous Joh Jos Research into the history of the Prüm family has Prüm winery a century ago. revealed that many Prüms were in the Trier administration, Also worthy of note is the history of another of the as well as being active in law and serving as lay judges. The seven heirs, Maria Anna Prüm. Maria Anna married the family’s legal tradition has continued to this day, with both winery owner Zacharias Bergweiler and gave birth to two Manfred and Katharina Prüm having qualified as lawyers. daughters, one of them named Maria, who married a Dr Wilhelm Weil from Kiedrich in the , the son of Sundial kids the founder of the Robert Weil winery. The other daughter The family’s wine tradition started with Sebastian Alois from this union was a Maria Magdalena who married a Prüm. He was born in Wehlen in 1794, the year that the Dr Loosen. These marriages meant that Johann Josef

French troops occupied the region and dissolved the Trier Prüm’s nieces were the grandmothers of Ernst Loosen and Jon Wyand by Photography Wehlener Sonnenuhr, the famous steep-sloping slate vineyard where, in 1842, Jodocus Prüm erected the sundial that still adorns the Joh Jos Prüm labels today

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Wilhelm Weil. Such a unique family bloodline, linking Sebastian Alois Prüms in the family history, of which there The Prüms’ Greatest Dozen According to leading Prüm collector Peter Ziegler, these are three world-class wineries, can otherwise probably only were many, as well as showing the world how much respect the 12 greatest wines ever produced at the JJ Prüm estate. be found among the Rothschild family in Bordeaux. he had for his wife Katharina. 1921 Wehlener Sonnenuhr feinste 1953 Wehlener Sonnenuhr The young vintner Johann Josef Prüm had the best Sebastian Alois Prüm-Erz laid the foundations for the A legendary vintage in Germany. Due to heat and dryness, While in the Rheingau the Beerenauslesen of this vintage often possible start. Franziska’s uncle built the young couple a current eminence of his estate and can be considered the the grapes developed a very limited outbreak of Botrytis. In the tend to be rather voluminous and powerful, this Prüm wine prestigious villa on the banks of the Mosel—a necessary first world star of the Prüms. He developed a unique mid-’70s, this still remarkably fresh Auslese, which made the seems to be the exact opposite: elegant, fresh, and by no status symbol to show the family’s position and success style that became the hallmark of Prüm wines: an reputation of the 19-year-old Sebastian Alois Prüm, had retained, means obtrusive. The residual-sugar content and the acidity even 50 years after bottling, its light color, delicate floral nose, marry perfectly. in the community. The outbreak of World War I, however, almost ether-like fruit sweetness, with a delicate, subtle, and a modest content of residual sugar. forced a significant break. Johann Josef returned from the racy acidity, which combine to give heavenly balance. The 1959 Wehlener Sonnenuhr hochfeine Auslese war as a frustrated and physically weak man, and in the mid-1930s brought the first spectacular Beerenauslesen 1938 Wehlen-Zeltinger Sonnuhr Unlike the many Auslesen with rather low acidity levels in this 1920s he handed the running of the business to his son and, in 1937, the first, longed-for Trockenbeerenauslesen. The second Trockenbeerenauslese from the hands of Sebastian vintage, this wine has always fascinated with its surprisingly Sebastian Alois. Unlike his father by that stage, Sebastian These extremely rare noble sweet elixirs quickly became Alois Prüm was a rather lean one, with just 160° Oechsle and stable, fresh acidity and its discreet touch of Botrytis. 10 grams of acid. Its delicate aromas, perfect elegance, and Alois Prüm had the necessary energy and ambition to take some of the world’s most sought-after and valuable wines. hitherto unmatched finesse made it the exemplar for the many 1959 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Trockenbeerenauslese the winery forward. Even World War II did not prevent the continuing other brilliant TBAs that followed. Harvested at 250° Oechsle and 13.5 grams of acid; not quite as success of the business. During the difficult war years, multidimensional as the great 1949 TBA, but with a marvelously Reaching for the rarest of the rare satisfactory, sometimes good wine was produced. (A notable 1949 Wehlener Sonnenuhr feinste Auslese intense bouquet and a subtle, refined, hidden acidity that today From the beginning, Sebastian Alois Prüm was always Beerenauslese was harvested in 1940.) However, the final Beside the great TBA of this vintage, Prüm harvested a range of perfectly balances the powerful sweetness. Auslesen that are counted among the all-time masterpieces of interested in the production of Auslese, Beerenauslese, and year of the war, 1945, proved an exception. After the German German culture. The Wehlener Sonnenuhr feinste 1971 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Trockenbeerenauslese Trockenbeerenauslese wines, which had become famous, Wehrmacht destroyed the Mosel bridge while retreating Auslese was the best in this collection. Harvested at well above With “only” 170° Oechsle, the first TBA from the hands of Dr especially from the in March 1945, it became 100° Oechsle, the acidity was not as prominent as in other Manfred Prüm continues the estate’s tradition of extraordinarily Rheingau in those days, almost impossible to vintages; therefore, the extract has been notably higher. It’s a elegant, virtually elysian TBAs. Incredibly subtle and far from and which had also Just a short time after taking work on the vineyards of juicy Auslese, with a silky texture and perfect harmony. having any fat at all. started to become a great Wehlen, located on the 1949 Wehlen-Zeltinger Sonnuhr Trockenbeerenauslese 1976 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Trockenbeerenauslese success in the Mosel. At responsibility for the winery, other side of the river. Arguably the greatest Prüm wine ever, harvested at 210° Oechsle Harvested as early as October 29 and 30 of this extraordinary the age of 19, Sebastian Diseases (above all, and 13 grams of acid. Botrytis vintage, with 210° Oechsle and 14 grams of acid. A Alois Prüm produced his Manfred Prüm produced the downy mildew) and pests monumental, completely overwhelming wine now, but some first masterpieces in this became prevalent, and 1950 Wehlen-Zeltinger Sonnuhr Beerenauslese collectors think that this TBA is still a long way from its peak. legendary wines of the 1971 An often-overlooked gem from a vintage that is otherwise rated category, in the 1921 Prüm could just as rather unspectacular. Today, this Beerenauslese is one of the 1983 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Eiswein vintage. This was an vintage, which will doubtless minimal amounts of low- Mosel’s classics, with a lean finesse and unobtrusive but highly This Eiswein was harvested rather early, on November 15, with exceptionally hot and dry continue to rank as some of the quality grapes, fit only aromatic sweetness. Without any weight or stickiness. 190° Oechsle and approximately 13 grams of acid. Crystal clear in year, with hardly any for family table wine. But its aroma, thanks to the impeccably healthy grapes—and with a water in the Mosel. The finest wines ever produced. soon after the war, Prüm 1953 Wehlen-Zeltinger Sonnuhr feinste Auslese perfectly integrated acidity, this elixir became one of the finest A vintage that yielded hardly any TBA in the Mosel, but the Eisweins ever produced in Germany. so-called Hungersteine reached a new quality Over the past four decades, Auslesen and Beerenauslesen are therefore even better. Alluring (“hunger stones”) became peak. The 1949 vintage elegance, virtually without any weight and really refreshing. Only Among cult wines of the future may be the 1989, 1990, and 2000 visible in the river, when many more cult wines produced some supreme since the ’90s has a very fine mature flavor begun to develop. Trockenbeerenauslesen, but great patience will be required. the riverbed was almost Trockenbeerenauslesen dry, and one could wade have followed and was the prelude to the across the Mosel. Even if exceptionally successful Manfred Prüm achieved his doctorate that his father finally Like Manfred Prüm 36 years earlier, his daughter Dr he couldn’t reach the decade of the 1950s. became proud of his son’s academic success. Katharina Prüm completed her law studies and gained ultimate by producing a Trockenbeerenauslese, the young During this period, there was a rapidly growing demand After his father’s death, Manfred Prüm completed his a doctorate before assuming her position in the family Sebastian Alois Prüm was able to harvest in this fantastic for these “liquid jewels” from overseas—above all from the legal studies, and in 1969, as an Assessor Doktor jur, he business in 2005. Her intelligence, knowledge, and charm year an exceptional range of Auslesen that still fascinate UK but also from the USA and, later, Japan as well. took over the reins of the Joh Jos Prüm estate. He followed make her the ideal guardian of the proud Prüm tradition. · today, after nine decades, with their ethereal elegance. Sebastian Alois Prüm-Erz would become one of the most the path of his father, ultimately bringing the winery to In 1928, Sebastian Alois married Katharina Erz, the highly regarded wine personalities, both nationally and its current position as one of the icons of German wine CONTACT INFORMATION & PRICES FOR RECENT VINTAGES daughter of a well-known vintner and wine merchant from internationally, in the young German Republic, and in 1967 and giving it the highly respected status it now holds Bernkastel. Katharina had a strong personality, like the he was honored with the title Ökonomierat. He died of a worldwide. Just a short time after taking responsibility Wehlener Sonnenuhr Wehlener Sonnenuhr young Prüm. Her strength probably came from the fact that heart attack at the age of 66—unexpectedly, because he was for the winery, Manfred Prüm produced the legendary Riesling Riesling Spätlese she had to run her family’s winery, together with her sister, always full of energy and strength. Prüm-Erz left four sons, wines of the 1971 vintage, which will doubtless continue to Wehlener Sonnenuhr Wehlener Sonnenuhr very early in her life due to the death of her brother, of whom the lawyer Dr Manfred Prüm was designated to rank as some of the finest wines ever produced. Over the Riesling Auslese Riesling BA or TBA Karl Erz, in World War I. Katharina’s having to assume take over the running of the winery. past four decades, many more cult wines have followed. Weingut Joh Jos Prüm so much responsibility so young was similar to Sebastian Especially noteworthy are not only the great vintages Uferallee 19, 54470 Bernkastel-Wehlen, Germany Alois’s experience. Into the Joh Jos Prüm estate, Katharina Iconic status such as 1971, 1976, or 1990, but also the “lesser” vintages that Tel: +49 65 31 30 91 • Fax: +49 65 31 607 brought with her some important vineyards, today located Manfred Prüm had already worked in his parents’ business often offer pleasant surprises but can easily be overlooked. www.jjpruem.com in Bernkasteler Badstube. What is remarkable is that from 1952 to 1955 but had decided to continue his As was the case with his father’s wife, Manfred Prüm’s wife Visits by appointment only. See Directory for stockists

Sebastian Alois had his wife’s family name appended to his education by studying law in Bonn and Cologne. His father Amei has always played an important role in the winery. under $15/£10/¤10 $15–30/£10–20/¤10–20 $31–75/£21–50/¤21–50 own, so he became known as Sebastian Alois Prüm-Erz. was not very happy with this decision, since he would rather There is no doubt that without her intelligence and hard $76–150/£51–100/¤51–100 more than $150/£100/¤100 This enabled him to be distinguished from the other have seen him as a vintner than a lawyer. It was only when work there would not have been such a success story.

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