Nahe

The 2016 Nahe Riesling Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Spätlese is bright, fresh and coolish-piquant on the nose, with flinty and slightly reductive aromas. Lush and piquant on the palate, this is a generous, mouth-filling Spätlese with a long, piquant and spicy-mineral finish. The Hermannshöhle is more dense and rich on the palate, the Brücke more light, delicate and finessed.
Stephan Reinhardt - 28/02/2018

We couldn't harvest all of the frozen grapes in a day,-" explains Donnhoff in a continuation of his Eiswein narrative and an account of his 2009 Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Eiswein A.P. #36. "But I was ok with that - it didn't matter to me now. In the afternoon came the news -you can fly out tonight- (to Paris for a vacation). The next morning, it was even colder. Now it was my son's chance, and so there is an Eiswein Helmut and an Eiswein Cornelius," namely this A.P. #36. One whiff makes the hairs in my nostrils stand on end.

The wine's prickly pungency is further reflected on the palate, yet along side is a suggestion of creaminess as well as salted caramel and honey from the subtle botrytis concentration that was present before these grapes froze. More viscous and superficially sweet than the A.P. #35, this simultaneously projects intense acidity, even if - as Donnhoff suggests - some acid fell out after the first day's freeze.

Perhaps that effect - or the wine's embryonic state - accounts for the absence of the vibratory intensity that rivets attention on A.P. #35. We have here the same 7.5% alcohol though from more than 20 additional degrees Oechsle because, explains Donnhoff, the yeasts simply couldn't manage any further conversion. For unifying botrytis with frost concentration, and for sheer palate persistence, the elixir in question here is nothing short of phenomenal. "In 20 years," contends Donnhoff with a wry smile and a nod toward this Eiswein, "Cornelius may be able to beat me."
96/100 points, Wine Advocate, Feb 2011

This time on grey slate from the village of Norheim, closer to the Rhine & so warmer. As a result the wine is broader, fleshier, pulpier with distinct soft citrus fruit appeal & character while at the same time being delicate & spring water fresh. One for earlier, midterm drinking.
(David Berry Green)

The Hermannnshhle vineyard is adjacent to Brcke, en route for the pretty village of Niederhaus. These two vineyards are the most famous in the Dnnhoff portfolio; the steep South-facing  Hermannnshhle famous for producing wines of  real elegance but power for great ageing. The 2006 Auslese Gold Cap is very close to Riesling Heaven; complexity and balance celebrate a harmonious and beautifully pure dance to the music of wine.
(Simon Field MW, BBR-Buyer)

A tremendous wine-making effort from a superlative vintage. Aromatically intense , this minerals & peach-scented 2005 Kabinett displays a satin-textured and creamy palate, hiding a powerful underlying minerality, excellent fruit richness, and a very long finish. Drink it over the next 10 years.

One of Helmut’s favourite vineyards, the 2ha Krotenpfuhl site in the village of Kreuznach nearby always seems to show a delicate, spring-water like character; especially in 2010 with the 35 grams of residual sugar balancing out the highly detailed fruit. Drinking now or will develop till 2020 at least.
(David Berry Green, Berrys' Germany Buyer)