Winemaker Notes
Steep cliffs of extrusive igneous rock (porphyry and melaphyre) rise directly from the banks of the River Nahe between Norheim and Niederhausen. Between those cliffs are small hollows, known in the local dialect as “Dellchen”. The slate soils here are mixed with the stony precipitate sedimentary rock of the adjacent volcanic cliffs. The extremely steep, perfectly south-facing slope is terraced by dry stone walls that demand a rigorous level of labor-intensive care. Protected by the surrounding cliffs, the Riesling grapes enjoy an extremely long hang time and year for year achieve perfect levels of ripeness.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Exceptionally refined and racy, this has terrific Amalfi lemon freshness and white peach fruit on the very focused, medium-bodied palate. Incredible drive in the super-long finish. The aromatic finesse of the wild flower, peach and Amalfi lemon nose is almost as great as the textural finesse. Incredible delicacy in the super-long finish. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold.
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Decanter
The Dellchen vineyard was also not spared by the frost in April 2024. Dönnhoff lost 70% of its grapes. However, those that survived have produced a very fine Riesling: very compact, not yet fully accessible, but the candied lemon and slightly exotic fruit promise much for the future. The wine is delicate in stature, a Riesling that can only be produced in such cool years – it goes deep, not wide. An elegant wine.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2024 Dellchen GG Norheimer Riesling is deep and dense on the nose, with ripe, juicy fruit, good substance and fullness and fine tannins that are already apparent in the aroma. Juicy and full-bodied on the palate, this is a powerful and still somewhat loud and sharp Dellchen with potential to refine.
Rating: 93+
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
