Chicago ♥ Dönnhoff

A group of us gathered at Rangoli for some Indian and Dönnhoff. Seriously, what more could you want?

• 2003 Dönnhoff Spätburgunder 93 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  Served blind. There was a hint of green/pyrazine on the nose that had me thinking cabernet franc right away. However, there's a lot of plush black fruit on the palate, and this was so fruit-forward it had me thinking something five years old or so. And the nose had me thinking New World, cool climate, low-alcohol cabernet franc, which in hindsight was totally wrong given the lightness of the palate. But it was the depth of fruit that had me thinking of a grape more substantial in body than a Spaetburgunder. Excellent stuff.

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• 2013 Dönnhoff Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl Riesling Kabinett 90 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  #04-14, 8.5% abv. Screw cap. The Kreuznacher Kroetepfuhl Kabinett has some of the scariest initials you can think of. Lovely fresh and slatey aromas on the nose, with a good amount of citrus peel character as well. Racy acidity but very well-balanced. Almost surely I have misjudged 2013. There is a good tinge of sweetness to this Kabinett, as well as a lot of minerality. Fantastic tension. I do admit, it'd be quite difficult to distinguish this from the Leistenberg served alongside.

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• 2013 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett 90 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  #05-14, 9.5% abv. Screw cap. This Kabinett also possesses incredible verve and tension on the palate, with just the right amount of sweetness to prevent the acidity from getting screechy. Perhaps a bit more mineral and herbal than the Kroetenpfuhl, but really, that's splitting hairs. This bottle also does come off slightly hotter as well. Impeccable balance and freshness make this a good one to drink by the case.

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• 2009 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett 90 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  #05-10, 9% abv. Next to the 2013, this definitely shows a rounder, richer character. The sweetest of the three Kabinetts, this didn't seem to have the same tension as the 2013s. Now whether that's a function of its age or vintage, I haven't a clue (likely both), but the ripe texture combined with racy acidity definitely keeps things interesting in my book.

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• 2004 Dönnhoff Schloßböckelheimer Kupfergrube Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  #12-05, 8% abv. Stony and petrolly on the nose, this seemed to be a more crystalline wine than the Bruecke that I had alongside. At the same time, there was a clear vein of acidity that served to hold the wine together. This bottle wasn't showing its age at all, and well-stored bottles of this still have a long life ahead.

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• 2004 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese 90 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  #08-05, 8% abv. This bottle had quite the spicy nose. Quite mineral though there was a slight bit of funk that muddied the waters a bit, especially in comparison to the Kupfergrube alongside. A bit leaner as well, there was still great balance between all the elements in this bottle. Showing very well right now (as I expect most 2004s are).

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• 2002 Dönnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese 90 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  #07-03, 8.5% abv. A bit of pineapple gummi bear on the nose, and it's particularly weird that the petrol decides to show itself on the palate, where it manifests itself with a bit of old riesling funk. Strangely enough, this comes off drier than the (admittedly, more modern) Kabinetts served earlier.

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• 2010 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  #13-11, 8% abv. Ah, the (in)famous 2010 acidity rears its head. Almost no nose on this wine. Obviously, the acidity is the prominent feature on the palate, but despite that, this bottle is never screechy or obnoxious about its pH level. A lot of juicy pineapple behind the acidity (it's kind of weird -- the acidity hits you first, and then you pick out the fruit). It will be very interesting to see how these bottles fare in the future. I ought to get some to do that...

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• 2001 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  #08-02, 9% abv. This bottle seems a lot more advanced than I'd expect for a 2001 -- it was dominated by petrol and some of that old riesling funk (which is surprising for something that is only 14 years old). There's a lovely floral touch on the nose. The acidity and fruit is there, but this is just not as bright as I'd expect for 2001, this (or at least, the bottle I'm writing about) seems to be just past its prime, and starting a slow gentle decline. Don't get me wrong, this is still a fantastic bottle of riesling... I'm just not taking any chances and I'll be drinking mine soon.

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• 2003 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 90 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  #19-04, 8% abv. From half-bottle. Producer, producer, producer. The 2003s from Doennhoff don't suck. The Hermannshoehle I had a few months back and this bottle demonstrate that fact. A somewhat muted nose that wasn't giving very much. The palate definitely comes off with a bit of that rich oily texture that such a ripe wine would inevitably have. However, despite that, the balance on this is commendable. Yes, the acidity is low, but only in the context of Doennhoff wines -- there's plenty to keep everything fresh and far from cloying. This does come off as a bit monolithic now, and I've no doubt this will get a lot better with some more time.

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• 2004 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel Flawed

  Germany, Nahe

  #16-05, 7.5% abv. From half bottle. Somehow, this was much bigger than the 2003, and showing a lot more stewed fruit character. I took the last sip of this wine home with me, and by then the bottle had completely fallen apart into disjoint stewed fruit elements. That the cork was completely stuck to the side of the bottle and had to be extracted as powder makes me think this wasn't stored properly in its earlier years. I'll pull one of mine soon to double-check this assessment.

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• 2005 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 93 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  #15-06, 7.5% abv. From full bottle, believe it or not. This wine really embodies that ethereal quality that Terry Theise mentions in his descriptions of Doennhoff. There are sweet white peaches and pineapples here, lifted by what I can only call acidity ex machina. Needless to say, this is quite young and there's still plenty of potential. It will be very interesting to see how this unwinds.

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• 2009 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Eiswein 98 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  #36-10, 7.5% abv. From half bottle. What can I add to what I've written already about this fantastic wine? This is viscous. This is spicy. This is intense. This is super rich. This is incredibly sweet. This is really acidic. This is balanced.

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• 2013 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Eiswein Auction 100 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  #25-14, 7% abv. Half-bottle 39 of 90(!). Served blind. Incredible spice and smoke on the nose. The spice had me thinking heavy botrytis, though in hindsight I should have picked up that it was more Eiswein spice than botrytis. Grilled peaches, Mark said, and he was spot on (or I'm incredibly susceptible to suggestion). The palate is one of white pain from the intensity, where you get a kaleidoscope that's been drenched in acid showing all manner of fruit, though white peaches and pineapple dominate. The intense acidity had me call this as a 2010 (I should have realized 2013 was a possibility). I hedged though and said Auslese+ because the palate, despite having the same density and concentration as the 2009 non-auction Eiswein, didn't pack the same hard punch -- this was much lighter and lither. Admittedly, the reveal wasn't surprising, but I was a bit disappointed I hadn't fared better in identifying the bottle. Many, many thanks to Cornelius for his consummate generosity, and to those who brought the bottle to share with the group.

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