2018 Riesling, Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl, Grosses Gewächs, Dönnhoff, Nahe, Germany

Dönnhoff

The Nahe River flows north into the Rhine at Bingen – located at the western end of the Rheingau. The best wines from the Nahe have been described as having the Rheingau’s elegance, the Rheinhessen’s body and the Mosel’s acidity.

There are several outstanding producers in the area, with the most celebrated being Helmut Dönnhoff. He produces some of Germany's finest Riesling wines from the world-famous Niederhausen and Schlossböckelheim vineyards. Several of his notable wines also come from the less-well-known Norbeim and Oberhausen vineyards.

His Kabinett and Spätlese wines are exceptionally rich with complex, with intense mineral overtones. They are delicious when young but have the potential to improve for up to 10 years, with the top wines lasting even longer.

Nahe

Unlike many German regions, the Nahe’s production is focused on quality rather than quantity: 57% is QmP (equivalent of Appellation Contrôlée), 41% QbA (equivalent to Vin de Pays) and only 2% Tafelwein (Vin de Table). The climate is mild and balanced with lots of sun, moderate rainfall and very little frost; the region is also protected against cold winds by the Soonwald and Hunsrück Mountains. All this enables the grapes to have a long and dry ripening in late summer.

One of the smaller German wine regions, covering 4,300ha, Nahe’s extraordinary range of soil types is second to none. The entire rock cycle of igneous (volcanic), sedimentary (sandstone, clay, limestone) and metamorphic (slate) rocks can be found here. For this reason, the region is able to produce quite diverse wines from relatively few grape varieties: Riesling wines of great finesse and a light spiciness, fragrant Müller-Thurgau with floral hints and full-bodied and earthy Silvaner. The most important districts are around Schloss Böckelheim in the upper-middle Nahe, and Bad Kreuznach in the Lower Nahe. However the Rhenish slate at Bretzenheim and volcanic soils around Monzingen and Merxheim that yield fresh, steely Rieslings can also be very good.