Mosel masterpieces... The 2023 collection from Prum and Schaefer

There are very few sure bets year after year in the world of fine wine. But buying Rieslings from Prum and Schaefer is 100% one of them. I have followed these wines for many, many years and almost nothing beats cracking a bottle from one of these Mosel icons.

You can drink them young for their delicious, vibrant fruit and crunchy acidity. Or forget about them in your cellar for as long as you’d like. The Mosel region of Germany really hasn’t had a bad vintage since 2000 and it’s very fun to compare all the various vintages with their own unique character if you are lucky enough to own them.

This brings us to our offer. We are sure you are familiar with both of these great producers. Both are located in the heart of the Mosel and craft amazing Riesling from their special slate terroirs.  

A bit of background info:

Willi Schaefer is a highly respected and revered name in the world of Mosel wine, known for producing wines of exceptional quality and finesse. The estate, located in the heart of the Mosel Valley, in the village of Graach, has been in operation for many generations. Schaefer’s style comes from a meticulous, hands-on approach to winemaking, which blends tradition with modern techniques to produce wines that are considered among the finest in the region (and anywhere else for that matter!) 

The Schaefer family’s approach emphasizes old-vine Riesling, which is key to their distinctive style. The estate’s vineyards are planted on steep, south-facing slopes that benefit from the region’s cool climate and slate-rich soils. These soils impart a unique minerality to the wines, which is one of the hallmarks of the Schaefer wines. The winemaking itself is gentle and allows the character of the grapes to shine, with fermentation taking place in traditional, large neutral oak casks, which impart subtle texture and complexity. This is a very small winery and I always have to scratch and claw to get decent allocations every year. There are very few producers I buy every year for myself, and this is one of them. Schaefer wines are delicate and always full of character-they make you think and they make you smile. What else can you ask for?

I have been buying and selling Prum wines since my first days in the wine business. They never fail to disappoint. Our friends at the German Wine Collection (the US importer for Prum) have this to say:

"Since 1156 the Prüms have called the village of Wehlen home. The Prüm estate as we know it today began with Sebastian Alois Prüm (1794-1871); his brother Jodocus constructed the Wehlener and Zeltinger sundials. Of his six sons only Mathias (1835-1890) married. In 1911 the estate was split amongst Mathias’s four sons and three daughters. It was when his oldest son, Joh. Jos. Prüm, started the estate. Joh. Jos. Prüm was in poor health when his son Sebastian took over in 1920 and went on to establish the world repute of the estate which continues to this day. After his death in 1969, his son Dr. Manfred Prüm assumed the responsibility and today Manfred and his oldest daughter, Katharina work in parallel to manage the estate. It’s most important vineyard holdings are the Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Graacher Himmelreich, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr and Bernkasteler Badstube. The vineyards are planted 100% Riesling. The Joh. Jos. Prüm estate ferments its Riesling almost exclusively with indigenous yeast. Annual production is 15,000 cases."

The terroir makeup of the vineyard follows:

Wehlener Sonnenuhr – pure, weathered devon slate, quite stony.

Graacher Himmelreich – very deep soiled (great water maintenance), weathered devon slate but also shows pockets of blue slate.

Zeltinger Sonnenuhr – in the best parts similar to Wehlener Sonnenuhr.

Bernkasteler Badstube – weathered Devon slate, also parts with blue slate and traces of loam.

Dr. Prüm was chosen Winemaker of the Year in 1996 and had the collection of the year in 2007 by The Gault-Millau/German Wine Guide.
The Joh. Jos. Prüm Estate is a founding member of the VDP

Like some of the mythical estates of Burgundy, Prum has a “secret sauce” that is hard to describe. Their wines always seem to be on another level. Manfred doesn’t allow anyone in their cellars so perhaps that adds to the mystery!

I’m pleased to report that 2023 was extremely successful for both growers. This is a chance to buy age-worthy “Grand Cru” wine for a heck of a lot less money than the top wines from other famed regions. If you are lucky enough to have a vintage 2023 child these would make perfect wines to put away and share with them when they get a bit older (in fact my kids are born in 2 excellent Riesling years 2005 and 2008 and I’ve done the same thing).

Phil Bernstein