2006 Weingut Dönnhoff, Riesling Auslese, Oberhäuser Brücke, Gold Capsule, Nahe, Germany.
The gorgeous and luscious 2006 Brücke Auslese Gold Capsule is really entering an amazing zone with rich layers of honeyed apricot, golden delicious apple, creme brûlée, marmalade and candied lemon peel, along with some crystalized ginger, clove, dried pineapple, tea spice, wet flint, bitter almond and rosewater notes. While opulently sweet, this Auslese still has some zingy acidity, sexy tension and a fine mineral toned personality and wonderfully balanced, not a bit flabby or cloying, making it a sublime Riesling that can easily go with a well paired meal. This is a wine that can turn almost anyone into a sweet wine lover, again, for those that love Dönnhoff, this is exciting stuff that brilliantly crafted. The carefully vineyard sorted and hand picked grapes come from the VDP Grosse Lage Oberhäuser Brücke, a highly prized Grand Cru site, set on a complex mix of slate, porphyry, sandstone and loam soils on slopes right on the Nahe River.This wine sees partial botrytized fruit, all pressed in a small basket press, slowly, over hours, drip by drip with exceptional care. The 2006 vintage was quite angler and awkward when the wines were first released, but you could always sense a potential and this lush medium to full bodied wine is proof of that and it is reaching a heightened level of pleasure.
The fabulous Brücke vineyard is a totally unique Monopole site for Dönnhoff, near the historic Luitpoldbrücke (Luitpold Bridge), which was, as the winery notes, built during the period of Royal Bavarian administration and crosses the Nahe River directly adjacent to the village of Oberhausen. Opposite that bridge lies a small vineyard parcel that benefits greatly from the nearby river’s moderating influence, which creates a distinctive microclimate protecting the vines from frosty late winter spells and promotes an early flowering each year, which translates into a long growing season for the late-ripening Riesling grape, while retaining good acidity. The VDP Brücke Grosse Lage produces stunning and concentrated wines from dry GGs to ultra sweet Eiswein, with certain parcels reserved for each style and this pedigreed site is always a favorite of my, in fact one of the greatest wines I’ve ever had was an Eiswein from here. While I usually drink and review Dönnhoff’s drier wines, I would be crazy not to highlight the outstanding fruity and sweet wines made here, and this very special golden hued and nicely mature Brücke Gold Capsule Auslese, which was all stainless steel fermented and aged, to preserve transparency and purity, was an awesome surprise treat, that my friend Alex Lallos graciously opened after a casual meal with wine friends.
($42-189 Est. – 375ml) 96 Points, grapelive