Donnhoff

Hermannshöhle -R- Riesling

Region: Nahe
Grape: Riesling
Vineyard: Niederhauser Hermannshöhle
Soil Type: Argillaceous slate with limestone veins and volcanic elements
Slope 40 – 60%
Aspect South
Age of Vines: Up to 65 years
Classification: VDP. GROSSE LAGE
Wine-making: Fermented and matured in a mixture of stainless steel vats and neutral 10+-year-old 1200L German stückfass from Hösch.

Niederhauser Hermannshöhle

For over 100 years, the Hermannshöhle has been revered as the Nahe‘s top-ranked site and the benchmark by which all other vineyards in the region are judged. It takes its name from a small mine, or “Höhle”, in the middle of the hillside. “Hermann” is derived from Hermes, the Roman god of messengers and travelers, and the name likely hints at an ancient place of worship once located here. This site faces due south and lies 130 –175 m above sea level. Its soils are primarily blackish gray slate mixed with extrusive igneous rock, porphyry and limestone. For generations, this marvelous site has shaped our expectations for what fine wines from the Nahe can achieve.

A perfect, steep southern slope with soils consisting of blackish grey slate and volcanic elements, extremely rich in minerals. The stuff of legends, for over 100 years this has been the most lauded site in the entire Nahe wine growing region.

Info

Producer:

Donnhoff

Vintage:

2018

Country:

Germany

Region:

Nahe

Appellation:

Nahe

Variety:

Riesling

Color:

White

Farming Practice:

Sustainable

Sizes Available

Alternate

DE-DHF-19-18A

6/750ml

Resources

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Press & Reviews

James Suckling

Score

Date

2024-08-08

"What is more extraordinary about this great dry riesling, the fact that it's so youthful at six years of age, or the incredible aromatic complexity? With each swirl of the glass it grows and changes, at first pear and quince dominating, then peach and pineapple, followed by mandarin orange. Very concentrated, but with underplayed power on the creamy, medium-bodied palate. Moderate acidity in this context, but such an elegant finish. The first vintage of this limited-production wine, which was fermented and matured on the lees for three years in large, neutral oak casks. Drink from release."

REVIEWS FROM PAST VINTAGES

James Suckling

Score

100

Date

2021-08-07

Wine Advocate

Score

Date

2021-09-23

Decanter

Score

Date

2022-08-20

James Suckling

Score

Date

2022-08-03

Wine Advocate

Score

98-99

Date

2022-08-25

James Suckling

Score

Date

2023-11-08

"#25 Top 100 Wines of 2023: The restrained beauty of the peachiness in the nose is hard to describe, but easy to be overwhelmed by! On the compact palate this has staggering concentration yet still manages to be very light on its feet. The finish is blade-runner sharp, but the blade also flashes in the sun. Breathtaking drive and energy for the very warm and dry vintage. Then comes the remarkable wet-stone minerality and you can,t wait for the next sip. "

Vinous

Score

95-97

Date

2023-09-28

"The 2022 Riesling Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Grosses Gewächs is from shale soils. The nose immediately expresses water on hot stone: warm and redolent of things that are not vegetal but mineral. The palate, however, holds Riesling's alluring citrus and stone fruit. The stony depth and dimension are undeniable, waiting patiently in the background to come to the fore. For now, citrus provides the top notes, but the heart and base note is of absolute stone: wet stone, shale that holds water, salt and centuries in its depth. The buffered citrus serenity is captivating. The finish is pure lemon linearity. (Bone-dry)"

Decanter

Score

Date

2024-10-10

"Dönnhoff always manages to translate the elegance of Hermannshöhle, with its blend of slate, limestone, and volcanic soils, into the wine. Citrus fruit and hints of mint emerge precise and highly concentrated, yet remain unobtrusive and subtle. Then there is this animating lightness and coolness, as refreshing as a mountain stream. Above all, the Hermannshöhle impresses with its remarkable length."

James Suckling

Score

100

Date

2024-08-08

"Incredibly refined and precise, yet with Grand Canyon-like depths and layers, this incredible dry riesling has a horizon-to-horizon spectrum of stone fruit, citrus and wild berry aromas, plus a touch of dusty hot soil as rain starts to fall on it. On the compact, medium-bodied palate, this side of the wine builds and builds to a giant crescendo in the almost endless finish. Drink or hold."

Jancis Robinson

Score

18.5

Date

2024-09-26

"Smells of sweet water, jasmine tea, white blossom, tender greens and ripe fruit. A Jenga game of delicate acidity, piercing freshness, shimmering fruit, elegant phenolics and stony tension. Remove one piece and the whole tower falls. This is pure, refined elegance. Everything feels made from spun gold. (PS)"

Vinous

Score

96-98

Date

2024-09-03

"The 2023 Riesling Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Grosses Gewächs, from a south-facing shale site with just a few calcareous veins, is golden in color. The vines were planted in 1949, and they now bring just small yields of tiny berries with a different pulp/skin ratio. A gorgeous lift tells of citrus zest, with an ethereal touch of crushed citrus leaf and spicier herb. The palate is crystalline. It's a clear-cut, taut, pure vision of stone and citrus. This is a pure, poised, precise and concentrated wine. Time and again, it is astonishing that so much flavor, stone and energy can be captured in a wine of such taut proportions at 12.5% alcohol. What an experience! There is no reliance on power, volume or fat, just slenderness, elegance and essence. (Bone-dry)"

Wine Advocate

Score

96+

Date

2024-10-31

"The 2023 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling trocken GG opens deep, pure, intense and stony on the nose that is, to be honest, much more sophisticated than the Brücke GG. The wine is finely juicy as well as savory on the palate, probably not bone dry in terms of analysis but always in tension and never settling on the palate, as if it was just an idea of Riesling and not its materialization. This Hermannshöhle is not a cave (which it is only named after) but a bright Riesling ray to the heavens, a lasting flash of lightning from a thunderstorm that cannot be disliked or remain undrunk, even today. If you need a salty and spicy yet always seductively round palate-tickler now, please go ahead. But those who like to let the wine mature will not lose out. 13% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in August and October 2024."

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Hermannshöhle -R- Riesling