Winemaker Notes
Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle (clay-slate with limestone and volcanic veins) is the most famous vineyard in the Nahe. Regarded as the benchmark site for the region for over one hundred years, this 8.5ha conical-shaped hillside of slate, with bands of volcanic soil and limestone, rises up over a slight bend in the Nahe. It’s the crown jewel of all vineyards in the region.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Hit me with a flower! This starts very delicately with an incredibly subtle nose of fresh and dried flowers. Then comes the enormously concentrated yet totally filigree palate, which dazzles the senses with its thousand nuances and almost endless, super-silky finish. Decades of aging potential. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese is magic. Pure, refined and aristocratic on the flinty, slate-dominated and slightly herbal nose that is populated by crushed stones and tiny mint leaves, while the bright fruit is perfectly interwoven with terroir-driven flavors. Racy, juicy-piquant and intense on the palate, this is a noble, highly elegant and complex Hermannshöhle with a long, intense and complex yet again very refined and floating finish. A genius of a Spätlese where everything is perfectly interwoven to an unspeakable beauty. "What is it that is so beautiful? That is the magic!," says Helmuth Dönnhoff, describing his philosophy of beauty. 8.5% alcohol. Tasted at the domain in July 2021.
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.
VINDE_DHF_43_20_2020 Item# 823726