Winemaker Notes
Steep cliffs of extrusive rock rise directly from the banks of the River Nahe between Norheim and Niederhausen. In between these cliffs there are small hollows, known in local dialect as Dellchen. Here, the slate soils are mixed with the stony precipitate sedimentary rock of the adjacent volcano cliffs. The extremely steep, perfectly south-facing slope is terraced by dry stone walls. Protected by the surrounding cliffs, the Riesling vines reach very high levels of grape ripeness. The wines displaying the characteristic of this particular terroir to a greater extent have enormous ripening potential.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pear drops, white peach, distilled herbal essences, and honeysuckle are the leading aromas of the 2004 Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Spatlese A.P. #11, which goes on to offer ravishing, positively heady inner-mouth aromas of a similar sort. Possessed of the sort of elegant wafting delicacy as well as multi-layered depth of its Kirschheck counterpart, this offers a bath-like (or is it atmospheric?) finish of crystalline clarity and subtle floral, herbal, nut oil and orchard fruit complexity. The experience of drinking this is how I imagine weightlessness. Astonishingly, given how little better any Riesling Spatlese could get than this, those from more notorious sites – including the two that have made Donnhoff’s reputation (and vice versa) – are yet to come! He has certainly achieved his goal of offering a gustatory tour-in-the-glass of the middle Nahe that reveals regrettably little known sites of greatness.
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.
ARP163452_2004 Item# 163452