Winemaker Notes
Delightful off-dry Riesling with nuanced natural sweetness and sophisticated acidity.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
So effusive thanks to the cornucopia of white peach and yellow apple, but also floral notes. Super fresh and juicy on the medium-bodied palate and the brilliant finish is barely off-dry.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Sourced in Oberhausen and Niederhausen (so from weathered slate and volcanic stones), the Dönnhoff estate 2020 Riesling is pure and refreshingly mineral on the nose that shows clear, bright and spicy fruit with crunchy slate aromas. Virtually a classic Kabinett, this is a round, only gently sweet Riesling with clear lemon fruit, a silky texture and very elegant, ripe and piquant acidity. This is a gorgeously fruity and stimulating Riesling to start with after a long night if you don't have fresh fruit on the table. "We have to be careful that it doesn't get too good for the price range," says Helmut Dönnhoff, and he is right, because this is a Nahe classic or, as Dönnhoff puts it, "This is the light, pure optimism, a children's choir. That is joie de vivre."
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.