J.J. Prüm

Bernkastel-Wehlen, Mittel Mosel, Germany From Johann Josef to Sebastian to Manfred (and in the coming years, to Katharina), the hereditary line of Prüms at this estate is straight and strong. Why is J.J. Prüm still the most famous name in German wine after a hundred years? Partly because their light and racy wines epitomize the region. Partly too because they possess several incredible vineyard sites and an extraordinary percentage of ungrafted vines within them, which links them to an historic era of German winegrowing. And honestly, it’s partly showbiz. Few humans alive have ever seen the cellar at J.J. Prüm, or Manfred’s mysterious brother Wolfgang who toils down there. The mystery is compounded at the epic dinners that Manfred and his daughter Katharina host for visitors, during which Manfred disappears for up to 20 minutes rummaging around for the “perfect” bottle to pour, which is invariably old and invariably served blind. Who can resist such a presentation? The 33.5 acre estate produces about 13,000cs annually. They’re not tiny and they’re not a thousand years old, and they’re not doctrinaire about vinification. They are simply the quintessential Mosel estate and the benchmark for all German wine. The wines of this old house are feather-light, never over-extracted, low in alcohol, transparent as glass, and petrolly as hell in those first 15 years or so. After that, they really get going. The trifecta of vineyard sites include the Wehlener Sonnenuhr (directly across the river from the house) from which the firmest, finest wines come; the Graacher Himmelreich from which rounder, earthier wines are made; and the Bernkasteler Badstube, which makes the lightest and saltiest wines, not as filigreed as the others but compelling, curious, and tasty.