The year 2023 began mild and wet. March in particular brought a lot of rain, which continued to a lesser extent into the rather cool April, so the soils were well moistened, quite unlike in 2022, when it was already too dry at this point. Budding did not begin until the end of April. The mild May and hot June were rather dry months. These conditions accelerated the growth of the buds and flowering. In July, there was more rain; and temperatures rose to 35 degrees Celsius at times, but there was also a cooler period with temperatures of around 25 degrees Celsius. August was similar, with even more rain and fewer warm days. In September, temperatures barely dropped and averaged 3.5 degrees Celsius above the long-term average. The harvest began very early on September 18 and ended on October 11. “As the temperatures remained warm in October and ripening progressed quickly, we made sure to complete the harvest as quickly as possible,” reports Katharina Prüm.
“Dr. Katharina Prüm says she initially found 2023 far more relaxed. The dryness that appeared in summer did not matter as much, as there had been signicant moisture throughout the winter. “Great, this is a dierent basis already,” she recalls thinking. The challenge of the vintage was the harvest because it was rainy and extremely warm. “This meant we really had to step up speed. We fnished picking on October 11—we were never done this early before. You had to be quick because the fruit was ripe, otherwise, it would have been either overripe or rotten. We picked nonstop, and more rain was forecast for the 12th of October,” Prüm explains. She also notes that it becomes increasingly dicult to speak of “average” yields as the gures become ever more volatile. While the 2023 yield was higher than either 2021 or 2022, Prüm estimates that sorting out rot cost her a third of the crop. There was not much good botrytis, so the 2023 Auslesen have very little botrytis and are thus exquisitely bright and elegant. The entire collection is a light-footed but intensely aromatic dream.”
—Anne Krebiehl MW, Vinous
At the renowned winery in Wehlen in January, I had to taste not only the last but also the penultimate vintage, i.e., 2023 alongside the 2022. I tasted both vintages one after the other, not side by side—the 2023 before lunch, the 2022 afterwards. I don't have a favorite, even though I had thought in advance that the 2023 vintage would have an easy time against its predecessor. But far from it. The hot and dry 2022s at Prüm turned out exceptionally well, and more than once I saw the 2022 ahead of the 2023, but I can't give a plausible reason for this. In any case, Katharina and her team have produced two great collections in two very different and challenging vintages. Prüm was able to harvest all grades in 2023 from Kabinett to Beerenauslese, with the main focus on Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese. The beautiful botrytis can be found again in a range from golden capsules to Beerenauslese. Overall, the wines of the 2023 vintage are classic in style: pure, clear, filigreed and fresh, with fine fruit ripeness, weightless elegance and stimulating crystalline acidity.
—Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate
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