2015 Bernkasteler Badstube Auslese
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Tasting notes
The 2015 Bernkasteler Badstube Auslese is very clear, fresh, cool and aromatic, characterized by its ripe and intense fruit aromas, as well as its blue slate flavors. Sweet, dense, lush and piquant, this Riesling has a lovely juiciness and mineral backbone. This is a very intense, but vital and gorgeously succulent Auslese that is great fun to drink, even today. The finish is clear, firm, piquant and salty, indicating a serious, long distance-running Riesling.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
David Schildknecht, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Utterly consistent with the character of the corresponding Kabinett and Spätlese, this projects quince, honeydew, cherry and lime, coolingly and alluringly laced with mint, basil and wintergreen, and wreathed in seductive, lily-like perfume such as one would more likely encounter from Wehlener Sonnenuhr. Certainly this is sweeter than its lower-Prädikat counterparts, but sweetness is not what's on one's mind while enjoying it, and there is also liveliness to the fresh, juicy lime component that conveys refreshment rare for an Auslese and pushes back against the wine's residual sugar. The overall impression is lusciously sorbet-like. The feel is glossy and slightly viscous but buoyant, and in this respect, too, the sense of citricity is highly efficacious, engendering remarkable liveliness for an Auslese that offsets the wine's richness. The superbly sustained finish cools and soothes even as it animates and refreshes.
About the producer
Joh. Jos. Prüm is the benchmark estate of the Middle Mosel, renowned for Rieslings of exceptional delicacy, precision, and longevity. From the legendary slopes of Wehlener Sonnenuhr to Graacher Himmelreich, their wines capture a singular balance of lightness, tension and mineral purity.