At the Auslese level, the shift is again more about intensity than sweetness. These are later-picked wines from riper fruit, but with pretty much no botrytis involved, so the style remains pure, fresh and finely drawn. There is a clear step up from Spätlese in depth, flesh and persistence, yet the wines still feel poised and digestible. Katharina Prüm is always keen to stress that these are not “sweet wines” in the conventional sense. Instead, the 2024 Auslesen offer more power, more fruit concentration and more vineyard expression, while retaining the freshness that defines the vintage.
As at every level in 2024, the site differences are vivid: Graach shows a racier, more citrussy, herbal profile, while Wehlen is rounder, deeper, more stone fruited and intense. Katharina also notes that, impressive as these wines already are, Auslese is a category that gains a completely different dimension with time. Young Auslesen can be wonderfully tempting, but patience is rewarded, and on the evidence of 2024, these are wines with a very long future ahead.
With such finesse and digestibility, these wines are typically too delicate for sweet desserts (although they can work with light, fruit-based, or custard-based dishes that are not overly sweet). Match them with whatever works for you, but don’t forget to at least consider savoury food like pork, game bird, schnitzel, savoury tarts, roast chicken, terrine, all kinds of sausage and charcuterie, and venison. But there are no rules, really; we’ve even drunk (and enjoyed them) with steak! They are also brilliant with almost all Japanese and Chinese dishes and terrific with a wide range of cheeses. And a little spice will not worry them!