Calling David Bueker

[Jenise]

Dave, I'm putting stuff away in my cellar today and wanted to ask you about this Prum Spatlese. It's an 04 Graacher Himmelreich which I've never had before, but which I nabbed four bottles of at $17 each with the certainty that I can never go wrong with Prum at that price.

Tanzer liked it, which is almost usually good enough for me: "($53) Sedate aromas of blueberry, honey, apple and mint. Pure and rich on the palate, with subtle nut oil and spice notes. Finishes with bright brown spices, succulent length and lovely lift and delicacy. 91 points".

What I want to know, though, is: is it too soon to open a bottle (I wasted on 02 Prum Spatlese a couple years ago, and that made me nervous), and what kind of overall life span would you anticipate these having ? Thanks!

[David M. Bueker]

Prum Spatlese - 2004 is a friendly vintage with good acidity, and the Himmelreich gives a more forward wine than the Sonnenuhr (and I have always found Prum's 2002s to be cranky). If you want to try one now you should decant it sometime around breakfast for a dinner service. Otherwise put it in the cellar for 5-6 more years and foreget it. It should be really nice at age 1o or so, even if it still needs some decanting to blow off those Prum-ish leesy/sulphurous aromatics.

[Jenise]

Prum Spatlese - 2004 is a friendly vintage with good acidity, and the Himmelreich gives a more forward wine than the Sonnenuhr (and I have always found Prum's 2002s to be cranky). If you want to try one now you should decant it sometime around breakfast for a dinner service. Otherwise put it in the cellar for 5-6 more years and foreget it. It should be really nice at age 1o or so, even if it still needs some decanting to blow off those Prum-ish leesy/sulphurous aromatics.

Thanks, Dave, just the advice I needed.

$17!?!! Arrrgghhh! They cost about $55 only 15 miles north of you! I think you need to try one soon, say at the next offline as an aperatif