2023 Weingut Dönnhoff, Dry Riesling, Nahe, Germany.
One of the best deals in the world of wine, Dönnhoff’s estate driven Dry Riesling (Trocken) is full of steely personality and precise focus of fruit with crisp green apple, lime, white peach and tart quince layers, brisk acidity, fine white blossoms on the nose, smoky mineral mineral notes, bitter almond, tea spice and lip smacking saline. Sublime clarity of detail and tension make this fabulous chiseled Riesling, again this 2023 version over delivers in the glass and I look forward to checking out the upcoming 2024, which is just released. Made to be a gateway to Donnhoff’s awesome collection of GGs, this thrilling bargain estate Trocken Riesling over delivers in quality and highlights the diverse terroirs that the Donnhoff vineyard sites have, which are set a complex combination of soils that goes from classic slate to volcanic, with löss, quartzite, gravelly loams, limestone and sandstones. These soils, again as mentioned in prior reviews, give each wine their own personality and charm, with the Estate Trocken seeing a mix of sites to showcase the overall quality of the Donnhoff’s holdings. A few years of age can add some secondary elements to this Riesling, and a maybe a slightly deeper hue in the glass, and any vintage you find is worth stocking up on, while staying being full of vibrancy, great with shellfish and briny foods. When enjoyed fresh and young these Dry Dönnhoff are outstanding and rewarding from the start, with this one, especially so.
The legendary Dönnhoff estate, as I’ve mentioned, based in Oberhäusen on the Nahe, is, as mentioned many times here, one of my favorite wineries in the world and this basic Trocken is always impeccably made and pure in character and style. Helmut Dönnhoff, the figure head here, was the first to bring international fame to this prestigious winery and making wine since 1966, and now Cornelius, his son who is the 4th generation to run this historic property, is stamping his own signature on these exceptional offerings. They have an amazing set of VDP Grosse Lagen (Grand Cru) vineyards, including Hermannshohle, Felsenberg, Dellchen and Brucke. Cornelius is one of top vignerons in Europe and his wines, which range from briskly dry, like this bone dry Estate Trocken, all the way up to the Grosses Gewachs, to the heavenly luscious, from Spatlese, Aulese, and to Eiswein, which is otherworldly and on parr with the greatest sweet wines ever made from Sauternes to Tokaj! The Dry Riesling or Estate Trocken sees exclusively stainless steel and is done with a 100% spontaneous fermentation(s) and then it is aged on the lees for a short time before being bottled quickly to preserve freshness and purity of the flavors, and while made to be enjoyed young, has superb midterm drinkability and can be cellared for a decade. I absolutely recommend this exceptional value Riesling from Dönnhoff, it’s guaranteed to please!
($24 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive