I just came into posession of a 2001 Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Auslese. I have had his Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese before from 1999 and just popped it open and drank it - it was quite delicious - but I am told this Auslese is an ager, up to 15-20 years.

So, the question is, since I am not a big German riesling drinker - what do I gain by aging it in flavour profiles, and does consuming it in the near term promote infanticide - will I miss out on something?

Thanks for your assistance. I have only one bottle and it seems that this is a limited production wine so I don't want to make a tragic mistake.

Welcome to Massachusetts - Be Fabulous and Say "I Do"

I have only had a handful of aged auslese (aged = before 1990, the oldest being 1971). So I am not the biggest expert but here goes.

Generally, the syrupy sugar goes away, but not the fruit/floral flavors that made it. Or it really doesn't go away, but tranforms into something else. The mouthfeel is thinner, the wine is a lot darker, and there is this "petrol" nose.

Now on the petrol nose. Some people say why the hell would you want a wine that smells like gasoline??

Answer - it's not really petrol. To me it smells like resin, as if all the fruits (apples, peaches, lychees, whatever) got boiled down and concentrated into a resinous syrup. The flavors are more concentrated, but less in-your-face sweet. At least that has been my experience.

Whether it is nice depends on how well the acid held up. You still need the acid to give the wine structure and counterbalance this fruity resinous taste. The finish is just as long as always, if not longer, and there can be a lot of complex flavors. Definitely a different experience then drinking a brand new auslese.

Hard to say but would guess it depends upon whether you like aged riesling. Some do, some don't.
Young Auslese like this can be wonderful with up front fruit, and the older, honeyed rieslings have a charm their own. If you can find a way to try an older riesling first and compare it to a younger riesling, that could help.
JJ Prum is a great ager and an additional challenge is that some find young Prums to have a sulfur stinkiness to them which takes a bit to blow off.
Either way it will be a great wine so take some time to taste before you decide or whether you can wait with just one bottle for 10-12 years.

great explaination cbmac

I pretty much agree with the other responses.

Prums are notorious for drinking moderately well young but really shining when old. That being said, if you open them a bit in advance and treat them like red wine, the 2001s are shining right now -- at least the Kabinetts and Spatleses, I've not opened any of my Ausleses yet.

Rieslings, particularly Ausleses do develope for a long time in bottle and can become more intense and complex with that rose-petal/petrol flavor that is often discussed. I just had a 21 year old Auslese last week and it is not even reaching its full potential, IMO. On the other hand, suggesting that you cellar a wine for 25 years that probably tastes absolutely delicious now is a bit silly. If you have the space in your cellar, try holding off. But, if not, just open the wine an hour ahead of time, I'm sure you'll love it.

a

"What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?" -- W.C. Fields

Thanks for all your detailed and very helpful responses. It goes to show if you ask the right questions here, you sure can learn a lot.

Cheers in 2011-2018 it looks like! Then my daughter might be able to enjoy it too!

Welcome to Massachusetts - Be Fabulous and Say "I Do"