Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese 2001
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Robert
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Spectator
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The medium to full-bodied 2001 Riesling Spatlese Niederhauser Hermannshohle is the greatest Spatlese I've ever tasted. Its liquid mineral and spice scents lead to a mind boggling personality of otherworldly richness, depth, and concentration. This massive yet intensely pure wine bastes the taster's palate with oily layers of minerals, almonds, earth, and smoky slate whose flavors are seemingly unending (unendlich, as F. X. Pichler, Austria's superstar winemaker, says). This is a prodigious, benchmark-setting effort.
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Wine Spectator
A beautifully understated spätlese, with subtle power, density and length. The passion fruit, sweet corn, berry, fennel and mineral notes are layered and just keep coming at you. Superbly balanced, it seems effortless and ethereal. The finish just melts away.
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The grandchild of the estate‘s founder, Helmut Dönnhoff, paved the way for international success by establishing an enduring quality and style in his wines. His vintages would in fact become a byword for renowned German Rieslings the world over. Following his training at his parents‘ estate and university studies in winegrowing, he assumed responsibility for both vineyard and cellar starting in 1971. “Extraordinary wines are based on extraordinary vineyards. I‘m fortunate to have had the opportunity to acquire several world-class sites and in some cases to resume cultivation. It remains very much a privilege for me to produce wine from vineyards of such exceptional quality. It‘s more than I ever could have dreamed when I first started working.” This deep understanding of grand wines and grand vineyards was passed on from father to son to grandson.
The fourth generation now holds the reins: Cornelius Dönnhoff. He began his training in 1999 and, after a series of positions abroad, in 2007 returned to assume responsibility for the estate – initially for the vineyard and cellar, and now for all aspects of the operation. History continues, but the estate remains what it has always been: a family affair in every sense.
Recognized as a top quality grape here since the Middle Ages, Germany retains its high reputation as a premier source of the finest Riesling. Heavily planted throughout the Rheingau and Mosel, Riesling responds splendidly to these regions’ extreme climatic and topographic challenges. Cold-hardy enough to survive freezing winters, and sturdy enough to withstand the warm sun, Riesling has enough natural acidity to maintain balance, even in wines with the highest levels of residual sugar. While high quality is possible in all points of the sweet to dry spectrum, Riesling typically produces wine with relatively low alcohol, high acidity, steely minerality, stone fruit, citrus, spice and floral notes. With age, Riesling can become truly revelatory, developing unique, complex aromatics, often with a hint of petrol.