Winemaker Notes
The Zeltinger Sonnenuhr vineyard in the most northernly site and directly borders the northern edge of the Wehlener Sonnenuhr. Both sites are named after the sundials (Sonnenuhr) that sit amongst the vines and that are clearly visible from the other side of the river. The Zeltinger Sonnenuhr has a similar sun exposition and steepness to its neighbor, but there is less top soil and the roots hit on the firm slate rock almost immediately. This means the vines have more trouble finding water which affects yields and the characteristics of the vines. Prüm's parcel comes from a patch of 60-70 year old vines around the sundial. The wines can be very complex, with earthy, rocky and smoky notes. They can have a certain dense quality and their acidity often is lower. They perhaps do not achieve the same finesse as the wines from the Wehlener Sonnenuhr, but they are probably more complex and can deliver wonderful, mouth-filling pleasure nonetheless.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
This fabulous Auslese lays out a whole basket of exotic fruit before you. The almost supernatural freshness is no less exciting. Terrific tension between the two, the acidity giving this great brilliance on the extremely precise, medium-bodied palate. The finish almost perfectly balances the restrained richness and intense wet-stone minerality.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese is clear, deep, intense and fresh on the complex and still reductive nose. Rich and lush on the concentrated palate, this is a dense and savory, textured and rich Auslese with saline grip and good tension, but it's currently pretty closed and not really singing, even with a certain astringency (from a second bottle). 8% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Rating: 94+
-
Wine Spectator
Oozes ripe, juicy peach and zesty apricot skin over a richly styled palate. Silky in feel, with a fragrant honeysuckle element and substantial concentration, yet this isn't heavy. Sharp acidity cuts through, bringing a snappy feel to the lush finish.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
Following the Mosel River as it slithers and weaves dramatically through the Eifel Mountains in Germany’s far west, the Mosel wine region is considered by many as the source of the world’s finest and longest-lived Rieslings.
Mosel’s unique and unsurpassed combination of geography, geology and climate all combine together to make this true. Many of the Mosel’s best vineyard sites are on the steep south or southwest facing slopes, where vines receive up to ten times more sunlight, a very desirable condition in this cold climate region. Given how many twists and turns the Mosel River makes, it is not had to find a vineyard with this exposure. In fact, the Mosel’s breathtakingly steep slopes of rocky, slate-based soils straddle the riverbanks along its entire length. These rocky slate soils, as well as the river, retain and reflect heat back to the vineyards, a phenomenon that aids in the complete ripening of its grapes.
Riesling is by far the most important and prestigious grape of the Mosel, grown on approximately 60% of the region’s vineyard land—typically on the desirable sites that provide the best combination of sunlight, soil type and altitude. The best Mosel Rieslings—dry or sweet—express marked acidity, low alcohol, great purity and intensity with aromas and flavors of wet slate, citrus and stone fruit. With age, the wine’s color will become more golden and pleasing aromas of honey, dried apricot and sometimes petrol develop.
Other varieties planted in the Mosel include Müller-Thurgau, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), all performing quite well here.