For Efrat's birthday, we opened a couple of Rieslings, a nectar for the ages for us, a lesser nectar for the rest of the family.
Joh. Jos. Prüm, Mosel, Graacher Himmelreich, Riesling Auslese, 2005
A continuous transformation of aromas and favors: lemon pie, crème brûlée, peaches, slate, petrol, the apples it showed in youth morphed into the richness of an apple pie. Finely balanced, the acidity perfectly supporting the rich sweetness. Complex and detailed, deep and effortlessly ethereal, floating so lightly across the palate that concentration is required - and rewarded. There are loads of reasons why Prüm is a master, but you only need one fine bottle to assimilate them. This is not just a fine bottle, this is a masterpiece. It's great now and it will be great forever.
Willi Schaefer, Mosel, Graacher Himmelreich, Riesling Kabinett, 2017
We hid the Prüm from our guests. We shared a pair of glasses and then opened the Schafer before returning to the Prüm. While both winemakers are giants, the comparison between these two wines is unfair, as a young Kabinett and a semi-mature Auslese were never meant to compete with each other. To be quite honest, there are more differences than similarities at this stage. I don't even have enough experience and data points in my memory banks to recognize it's the same vineyard. The Schaefer is naturally leaner due to the lower sugar level. Due to its age, it's more about apples then lemons and summer fruits, also naturally.
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