Manfred Prüm (J.J. Prüm)

J.J. Prüm produces Riesling from several renowned Mosel vineyards, most notably the Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Graacher Himmelreich, and Zeltinger Sonnenuhr sites. These steep, slate-soiled vineyards along the Mosel River are among Germany's most prestigious terroirs for Riesling and give the wines their characteristic mineral intensity.

J.J. Prüm's top vineyard sites such as Wehlener Sonnenuhr are classified as Grosse Lage (great site) under the VDP classification system. While Prüm traditionally labels its wines by Prädikat level such as Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, and Trockenbeerenauslese, the estate's wines from these top sites are considered benchmarks for each ripeness category.

J.J. Prüm Rieslings, particularly the higher Prädikat levels like Auslese and Beerenauslese, are among the most age-worthy white wines in the world, capable of developing in bottle for several decades. Their extraordinary longevity comes from the high acidity of Mosel Riesling combined with the dense mineral backbone from the blue slate soils, which act as natural preservatives.

Manfred Prüm follows a meticulous, traditional approach that includes slow, cool fermentation in stainless steel or old fuder barrels, spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, and extended lees contact. The estate avoids filtration when possible and typically releases wines later than most producers, allowing them additional time to develop in cellar before going to market.