Donnhoff
The Dönnhoff family first came to the Nahe region over 200 years ago, and after establishing a modest farm slowly evolved into a full-fledged wine estate. Helmut Dönnhoff has been making the wine since 1971, and now his son Cornelius works alongside in the winery and in their 25 hectares of Erste Lage, or grand cru vineyards. Their holdings represent some of the best in the Nahe and all of Germany. Oberhäuser Leistenberg, the oldest vineyard held by the family, has slate soils and produces fruity wines with elegant acidity. The Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg is a very old site with porphyry soil. Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle, perhaps the most famous of all the Nahe vineyards, is a slate vineyard with many conglomerates of volcanic rocks, mostly porphyry and melaphyr. The Oberhäuser Brücke, the smallest vineyard in the Nahe, is a tiny parcel saddled on the Nahe River that Dönnhoff owns in entirety. The Brücke has grey slate covered by loess-clay and the vines ripen even later here than in the Hermannshöhle due to large diurnal temperature swings along the river. The Norheimer Dellchen is a steep terraced vineyard in a rocky hollow with porphyry and slate soil. Norheimer Kirscheck sits on a steep south slope of slate soil and produces delicately fruity wines with spice and race. The Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl vineyard has perfect drainage due its topsoil of pebbles over loam soil; characteristic are wines with a mineralic elegance. Due to the water table that flows beneath the vineyard's soil the Krötenpfhul has always been farmed organically, even before it was held by Dönnhoff. Although the Nahe is a dry region, Dönnhoff does not water their vineyards as to encourage deep rooted vines. The soil is covered with organic material like straw and compost to preserve water and to avoid evaporation and erosion in heavy rains. The vines are all grown on wire frames, low to the ground to benefit from the warmth of the stoney topsoil, and at a density of approx. 6000 vines per hectare. The Riesling vines are old clones sourced from the sites in Niederhausen and Schloßböckelheim. Grapes are always picked by hand at Dönnhoff over 2-3 passes through each vineyard. To preserve laser-like focus and clarity in the wines, the grapes are pressed as soon as possible – within 3 hours of picking. Wines are fermented in traditional German casks (1200 L stuck and 2400 L doppelstuck) as well as stainless steel with spontaneous fermentations. Donnhoff's cellar is unique in its capacity to hold all of its production entirely in stainless steel or in cask, allowing for the ideal elevage for any wine at any point during a vintage. Vineyard area: 25 hectaresAnnual production: 17,000 casesVineyard holdings: Niederhäusen – Hermannshöhle (slate, sandstone, limestone)Oberhäusen – Brücke (slate, porphyry, sandstone, loam) Leistenberg (slate)Schlossböckelheim – Felsenberg (porphyry) and Kupfergrube (weathered volcanic soil with a high copper content)Norheim – Kirschheck (slate, sandstone) and Dellchen (slate, porphyry)Bad Kreuznach – Krötenpfuhl (löss, quartzite), Kahlenberg (gravelly loam)Roxheim – Höllenpfad (red sandstone)
Donnhoff 'Oberhauser Brucke' Riesling Spatlese 2019
$48.95 $66.01
James Suckling 97 "If you dream of the great German rieslings of the 1970s and 1980s, then this is a wine for you, even though it
Donnhoff 'Hollenpfad GG' Riesling 2020
$67.95 $99.59
James Suckling 97 "Very complex wild herb and berry nose with a touch of fresh pineapple. Concentrated and succulent, yet this remains so bright, the minerality
Donnhoff Niederhauser Klamm Riesling Kabinett 2020
$24.95 $30.40
James Suckling 95 "A very serious Kabinett that has so much depth as well. Stunning, peachy fruit that is beautifully counterpointed by the mineral freshness that
Donnhoff 'Estate' Riesling 2020
$16.95 $22.40
James Suckling 92 "So effusive thanks to the cornucopia of white peach and yellow apple, but also floral notes. Super fresh and juicy on the medium-bodied
Donnhoff 'NorheimerKirschheck' Spatlese Riesling 2020
$35.95 $45.33
Wine Advocate 95 "The 2020 Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Sptlese is clear, pure and intense on the nose like a fine Italian perfume on wet, crushed stones.
Donnhoff Hermannshole Goldkaps Riesling Auslese 2020 375ml
$45.95 $60.80
James Suckling 99 " What a nose! This smells like essence of peach with a delicate, floral-honey overtone. Seems to vibrate on the palate, thanks to
Donnhoff Hermannshole Riesling Spatlese 2018
$48.95 $64.00
Wine Advocate 95 "The 2018 Niederhuser Hermannshhle Riesling Sptlese is deep and flinty as well as complex on the stony nose with its ripe and even
Donnhoff 'Hermanshohle GG' Riesling 2020
James Suckling 100 "The greatest wines are clear right from the very beginning, because not only is there a super abundance of perfect ripeness, but everything
Donnhoff 'Felsenberg GG' Riesling 2020
James Suckling 98 " If you are a terroir fundamentalist, then this enormous depth of smoky and wild-herb character will light your fire, but otherwise approach
Donnhoff Dellchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2020
James Suckling 99 "Such a wide spectrum of super fine yellow-fruit aromas and a floral note that you struggle to take it in all at once.
Donnhoff Estate 'Trocken' Riesling 2020
Tasting Notes "The Riesling Trocken is clear, bright and remarkably finessed in its fruit aromas and lovely stony notes. Medium-bodied this is a very elegant, refined
Donnhoff Hermannshole Riesling Spatlese 2020
James Suckling 100 "Hit me with a flower! This starts very delicately with an incredibly subtle nose of fresh and dried flowers. Then comes the enormously
Donnhoff Dellchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2019
James Suckling 100 "Ravishing bouquet of a thousand golden fruits and a staggering interplay of diamond-bright acidity and great succulence. Then, just when you think you've
Donnhoff Hermannshole Goldkaps Riesling Auslese 2019 375ml
James Suckling 99" "Welcome to the Nahe Riesling deep end, from where you can look up and still see the sun. Enormous depth and complexity at
Donnhoff Estate 'Trocken' Riesling 2019
Wine Advocate 91 "The 2019 Riesling Trocken is clear, bright and remarkably finessed in its fruit aromas and lovely stony notes. Medium-bodied this is a very
Donnhoff 'Estate' Riesling 2019
James Suckling 92 "A very attractive, just off-dry riesling with tons of fruit-salad character, but no hint of anything banal. Quite the opposite in fact, as
Donnhoff Niederhauser Klamm Riesling Kabinett 2019
James Suckling 96 " Stunning balance of rippling peaches and mandarines with acidity that almost vibrates on the palate and a smoky tone that adds to
Donnhoff Hermannshole Riesling Spatlese 2019
James Suckling 100 "All of nature's springtime joy and the epitome of autumnal ripeness somehow combine with summer-morning dew to offer one of the greatest off-dry
Donnhoff 'Estate' Riesling 2018
James Suckling 91 " Green apples, pear drops and chamomile are in play here. Lightly off-dry with some softness and a fruity finish, but some pretty
Donnhoff Hermannshole Goldkaps Riesling Auslese 2018
James Suckling 97 "Intense minerality, burnt orange and praline character. Full-bodied and very sweet, yet the acidity backs up the palate and breaks out and amazes
Donnhoff Hermannshole Goldkaps Riesling Auslese 2017
James Suckling 100 "Some truths are hard to believe and this is one of them; it wont let you go, so there's no way of denying
Donnhoff Hermannshole Riesling Spatlese 2017
James Suckling 99 "Most people who drink wine know what a ripe peach tastes like. However, this wine gives you a completely new appreciation of the
Donnhoff 'Estate' Riesling 2017
Vinous Media 90 "This year, fruit from the Niederhäuser Klamm joins that of Oberhausen (predominantly Leistenberg) in this very subtly sweet cuvée. Niederhäuser Klamm is perhaps
Donnhoff 'Oberhauser Brucke' Riesling Spatlese 2017
James Suckling 96 "So light and filigree with such a delicate white-peach note. Yet, behind the almost weightless exterior is enormous depth
Donnhoff 'Estate' Riesling 2016
Wine Spectator 90 "Charming aromas and flavors of apricot and yellow apple are emphasized by vibrant acidity in this off-dry style. Shows balance and focus throughout.
In-Store Pickup (Albany, NY)