2017 Donnhoff, Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese, Nahe
Vinous
92
CellarTracker
90
Regular price
$38
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2017 Donnhoff, Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese, Nahe
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Helmut and now Cornelius Dönnhoff are not your classic, Dijon-trained, by-the-book winemakers; instead, they're incredibly intuitive, with the ability and assuredness to pivot when needed. Wine needs longer in tank? Do it. These grapes taste as though they would make a phenomenal dry wine? Ausgezeichnet. Blessed with a wealth of experience in learning on the job, as well as decades with their old vines in several magnificent Grand Crus, Dönnhoff is unmistakably one of the very best labels in Europe, annually.
Donnhoff
With family roots in Oberhäusen an der Nahe dating back some two and a half centuries, Dönnhoff is cemented as a true legend of the region. Yet the family, today with Cornelius at the helm of the estate, is entirely humble and committed to their craft. Having amassed about 25 hectares, their winery is large enough to allow Cornelius both time and space to make his wines how he prefers - also to hold back plenty of wine until he feels it is perfectly ready to drink.
In the vineyards, yields are naturally reduced by virtue of steep vineyards that produce tiny berries. With well-positioned sites that are not generally subject to mildew or rot (aside from botrytis in some), hang-time on the vines is prolonged and awaits the perfect moment of ripeness for each bottling. With the cool temperatures, the vines are trained very low to the ground to take advantage of the dark soils' natural reflective heat. There is no dogma dictating which vineyard will be made dry or off-dry, rather it is following the deeply-instilled intuition from decades of experience.
In the winery, grapes are pressed immediately to retain freshness. Fermentations will happen in large oak or stainless casks (as determined from the taste by Cornelius), and all fermentations are allowed to commence and complete naturally.
It should be noted that in 2024, the Dönnhoff vineyards were pummeled by frost, creating a loss of more than 90%. To illustrate the family's importance to the region, neighbors and friends (Witmann, Bürklin-Wolf) graciously offered parts of their vineyards to Cornelius for the vintage. As if we couldn't already love them enough.
Meet the Producer
Donnhoff
Helmut and now Cornelius Dönnhoff are not your classic, Dijon-trained, by-the-book winemakers; instead, they're incredibly intuitive, with the ability and assuredness to pivot when needed. Wine needs longer in tank? Do it. These grapes taste as though they would make a phenomenal dry wine? Ausgezeichnet. Blessed with a wealth of experience in learning on the job, as well as decades with their old vines in several magnificent Grand Crus, Dönnhoff is unmistakably one of the very best labels in Europe, annually.
With family roots in Oberhäusen an der Nahe dating back some two and a half centuries, Dönnhoff is cemented as a true legend of the region. Yet the family, today with Cornelius at the helm of the estate, is entirely humble and committed to their craft. Having amassed about 25 hectares, their winery is large enough to allow Cornelius both time and space to make his wines how he prefers - also to hold back plenty of wine until he feels it is perfectly ready to drink.
In the vineyards, yields are naturally reduced by virtue of steep vineyards that produce tiny berries. With well-positioned sites that are not generally subject to mildew or rot (aside from botrytis in some), hang-time on the vines is prolonged and awaits the perfect moment of ripeness for each bottling. With the cool temperatures, the vines are trained very low to the ground to take advantage of the dark soils' natural reflective heat. There is no dogma dictating which vineyard will be made dry or off-dry, rather it is following the deeply-instilled intuition from decades of experience.
In the winery, grapes are pressed immediately to retain freshness. Fermentations will happen in large oak or stainless casks (as determined from the taste by Cornelius), and all fermentations are allowed to commence and complete naturally.
It should be noted that in 2024, the Dönnhoff vineyards were pummeled by frost, creating a loss of more than 90%. To illustrate the family's importance to the region, neighbors and friends (Witmann, Bürklin-Wolf) graciously offered parts of their vineyards to Cornelius for the vintage. As if we couldn't already love them enough.
Vinous
Vinous
92
Lily and apple blossom perfume on the nose liquefies on a silken, glossy, buoyant palate lusciously brimming with juicy fresh apple and chiffon-like strawberry. The finish, unabashedly sweet, yet delicate, is hauntingly sustained and incorporates a saliva-liberating pinch of sea-salt. “I don’t really want to make every sort of wine in every vineyard,” insists Dönnhoff, who is convinced that the talent of Kirschheck is and will remain in the realm of residual sweetness. “Besides,” he adds with a wink, “with the two new Grosse Gewächse we now have a full six-pack.”
What the Critics are Saying
Vinous
Vinous
92
Lily and apple blossom perfume on the nose liquefies on a silken, glossy, buoyant palate lusciously brimming with juicy fresh apple and chiffon-like strawberry. The finish, unabashedly sweet, yet delicate, is hauntingly sustained and incorporates a saliva-liberating pinch of sea-salt. “I don’t really want to make every sort of wine in every vineyard,” insists Dönnhoff, who is convinced that the talent of Kirschheck is and will remain in the realm of residual sweetness. “Besides,” he adds with a wink, “with the two new Grosse Gewächse we now have a full six-pack.”