Winemaker Notes
For over 100 years, the Hermannshöhle has been rated the best site in the Nahe and is therefore the bench mark by which all other vineyards in the region are judged. The soils are mostly black slate mixed with extrusive igneous rock, porphyry and limestone.
The 2020 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese is complex and seductive with fruit abundance and a lot of depth and long reverberation.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A very exciting riesling Spätlese with so much depth and finesse. Dense stone-fruit character, married to wonderful citrus and mineral freshness. Brilliant acidity, with pronounced herbal character that you could study for hours. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese is intense and complex on the dusty/stony and slightly phenolic-scented nose that indicates ripe fruit, floral and honey notes as well as a still reductive character. Round and lush on the palate, this is an elegant, refined and salty Spätlese from the Hermanshöhle that develops a serious intensity and terroir expression even at this young age. Impressive yet still very sweet and more promising than already great. Persistently salty on the aftertaste.
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.
