Wine of the week: a mind-blowingly exciting aperitif

This riesling is a bargain and a beauty. And at a sniff under 20 quid, it is positively irresistible.

Graacher Himmelreich, Riesling, Kabinett, JJ Prüm, 2018, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany 

£19.68, Justerini & Brooks, 020-7484 6430, justerinis.com

JJ Prüm is just about the only epic wine estate in the world on my hit list of greats that I have yet to visit. I have travelled to Germany many times and I have asked to visit Prüm (twice), but they have turned me down (both times). I am not sure why, but it hasn’t stopped me drinking gallons of their wines and writing up their finest releases in my various columns.

The rieslings from the Wehlener Sonnenuhr vineyard, across all sweetness levels including the rare goldkapsel (gold capsule) wines, are all celestial, highly sophisticated and extraordinarily age-worthy. This 33-acre estate, with nearly 70% of ungrafted vines, also includes holdings in Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, my featured Graacher Himmelreich, Graacher Domprobst, Bernkasteler Lay and Bernkasteler Badstube, and all of these wines are worth tracking down. 

My featured wine is a bargain and a beauty – at a sniff under 20 quid, it is positively irresistible. It tips the scales at a teeny 9% alcohol and this means that it is ever so slightly grapey and off-dry on the palate. It’s like stepping back in time 40 years to an age when we all drank delicate Mosel Rieslings instead of gauche sparkling wines before dinner. Nothing has changed in the Jukes household over this period because we still enjoy this tradition! So try your hand at this mind-blowingly exciting aperitif because it is totally alive with prickly acidity and heavenly, tender fruit.  

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.commatthewjukes.com)

Recommended

Where will house prices go in 2023?
House prices

Where will house prices go in 2023?

We explore what could happen to house prices in 2023 as the market continues to slow down.
24 Mar 2023
What is inflation and how will it affect you?
Inflation

What is inflation and how will it affect you?

There has been much talk of inflation recently. But what exactly is it and what does it mean for our money?
24 Mar 2023
3 success stories set for long-term growth
Investments

3 success stories set for long-term growth

A professional investor tells us where he’d put his money. This week: Felix Wintle, manager of the VT Tyndall North American Fund, selects three favou…
24 Mar 2023
Share tips of the week – 24 March
Investments

Share tips of the week – 24 March

MoneyWeek’s comprehensive guide to the best of this week’s share tips from the rest of the UK's financial pages
24 Mar 2023

Most Popular

Where will house prices go in 2023?
House prices

Where will house prices go in 2023?

We explore what could happen to house prices in 2023 as the market continues to slow down.
24 Mar 2023
Will energy prices go down in 2023?
Personal finance

Will energy prices go down in 2023?

Ofgem’s price cap is now predicted to fall below £2,000, based on average typical use, from July, for the first time since 2022. We have all the detai…
21 Mar 2023
5 top UK tech stocks
Investments

5 top UK tech stocks

The UK market has never been considered a fertile hunting ground for tech stars. But there are plenty of promising companies beyond the old economy, s…
23 Mar 2023