Achtung Baby! Donnhoff Ahoy! WITH PRICES

Hi All,

 

Somehow, and I don’t know how, I managed to send the version of my mailer WITHOUT prices last night -Doh! Despite double-checking I had copied over the correct copy… Anyhow, apologies for the error. Note to self, don’t have that glass of wine before sending the mailout!

 

Please see below my mail out from last night, this time WITH prices per bottle.

 

Best

Jim

 

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Merry Tuesday one and all!

 

I was recently at the 2025 Masters of Riesling tasting, which is the En Primeur release of the new vintage of German Riesling from a select roster of fantastic producers representing their regions and celebrating their distinctive styles side-by-side. It is also just as importantly an opportunity to taste the new vintages of Spatburgunders too.

 

For the Rieslings, this may  be the first time they have been shown after just being bottled and in many cases what you are tasting is in fact tank/barrel samples just prior to bottling, and it is of course the job of the taster to analyse and predict the wines evolution over months and years and decide which wines are best suited for buying, cellaring, early drinking or all of the above – as many Rieslings can be drunk relatively young, but will hold for decades – even the more basic end are capable of very respectable cellaring time.

 

Apart from anything else, it is an incredible opportunity to educate one’s palate tasting nothing but one varietal over many, many soil types, vineyards, appellations and so on – plus the bigger picture, building up a wider appreciation of vintage variables and understanding how one Vineyard can produce such different fruit under differing climatic conditions. The quote that sums all of this up for me, that I repeat constantly, forgetting where I even read it years ago, is “Riesling is a Mirror to the soil.” That is to say, there is no greater varietal that exhibits a clarity and almost transparency that perfectly reflects the conditions in which it was grown, especially through the prism of German Riesling production, where wine making is as minimal as possible, often simply harvesting, pressing, filtering and bottling – On occasion large barrels are used to rest the wine, but even then, batonnage or lees stirring is often avoided in order to let all textures be naturally achieved and to allow the fruit and mineral character to express itself fully and with precise lucidity.

 

Today, I am focusing attention on the Riesling I bought back in 2024, which was the 2023 vintage, which has now had a year in bottle and is in perfect order to be drunk from here on in and with the top wines, the sweeter wines and the GG dry wines a matter of choice as to whether or not to drink or hold. I would advise you hold some of the Spatlese and GG wines to allow at least 3 years of bottle age, when the wines start to develop a bit and show real complexity and textural layering. However, I would also say, you’ll never know where the wine ended up unless you try some now – so always buy at least 2 btls for comparison and charting of evolution. Or if you can, just buy a case or two – good Riesling is seriously underpriced, in my humble opinion.

 

2023 As a Vintage…

I’m not going to drone on about every laborious detail of the harvest cycle, but I think in brief, it’s fair to say, 2023 (like 2024 that followed) was a bit hectic and all over the place. As wine makers like to say, “…a vintage not without its challenges…” As I like to say, one that through just about everything at you, bar the kitchen sink. From a wet spring to unusually warm early summer, followed by a very rainy ripening season, and then saved by a brilliantly dry and sunny harvest, it was indeed challenging. There was much work to be done in the vineyards from canopy management to battling fungal diseases, and an intensive harvest period. There were reduced yields and very careful selection to make the remaining volumes the best wines possible. Thankfully, as ever in the hands of good wine makers, great wines were still made. In this mailer, we look at a personal favourite of mine, the fantastic Donnhoff from Nahe, who truly benefited from the late ripening period in September, resulting in the best vineyards producing ripe, healthy and highly aromatic grapes.

 

Donnhoff Riesling Trocken Qba 2023 12% ABV £24.99 p/b

This is the entry point to the Donnhoff portfolio. A straightforward and direct, zippy, zesty classic and clean expression of Riesling, no petrol, pure fruited, refreshing acidity and bone dry in feel despite 4.9g/l Residual Sugar (RS) and structured in terms of extract and grip. Lively and aromatic – a great introduction to German Riesling in the Nahe style. 93pts James Suckling

 

Donnhoff Tonschiefer Trocken 2023 12% ABV £28.99 p/b

For me this is the absolute bang-for-buck wine in the spread of dry Rieslings. It’s almost always consistently impressive in terms of QPR. In 2023, the Tonschiefer Riesling is on form, with excellent weight a hint of ripeness not normally as evident, once again interesting as has less RS than the Qba Riesling at only 3.4g/l. The wine is still savoury, however, with aromas and flavours of stone, perfectly projecting the vineyards (mostly Oberhäuser Leistenberg) decomposed slate soils well. A typical wet slate nose, a hint of spiciness often found in Tonschiefer, peach, white blossom and high mineral character. Graceful medium bodied and very complete already. 94pts James Suckling

 

Donnhoff Roxheimer Hollenpfad Trocken 2023 12.5% ABV £39.99 p/b

From here the wines are from single vineyards. I loved the Riesling from Roxheimer Hollenpfad. The vineyard is a steep south facing slope well known for its unique red sandstone which lends the wine a fantastic spicy character and texture not to mention increasing the wines body. This has huge power to it and will drink well in youth but happily age for a decade or more to come. Blood orange, mountain herbs and a long and persistent, spicy finish. A unique wine in the Donnhoff portfolio.

 

Donnhoff Hermannshohle Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2023 13% ABV £90 p/b

The Grosse Gewachs or GGs are the Grand Cru dry wines of German Estates. They represent the best vineyards, oldest vines and the pinnacle of what is achievable with Riesling. The wines are borderline immortal and can age almost infinitely. Hermannshohle is the jewel in the crown at Donnhoff and in 2023, the wines from this vineyard were considered exceptional at all levels. I fought hard to get my hands on this particular GG of the four I tasted. I was absolutely floored by it. Later in the year it was scored 99pts and featured at #25 in James Suckling’s “Top 100 Wines of 2023”. This GG just has everything. In my notes, the first statement I made was “THE ONE!” The aroma of rain on warm stone in summertime. The nose, like the palate, are hard to unravel, tightly bound at this stage, but the potential is just mindboggling. There is at once an openness, letting you in to all the attractive features of the wine, yet the opening is only a tight slit through which to see endless development to come. Peaches, stone fruits and citrus abound, mixed with smoke and volcanic complexity from the slate, shale and volcanic soils. There is a perceptible creaminess at this stage, from the decade plus, 1200Ltr Neutral Oak barrels. There is thrilling electricity to the razorblade acidity and wet stone minerality. A linear tension and focus that just invites you back for another taste. 99pts James Suckling

 

Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Kabinett 2023 9% ABV £28.99 p/b

A luscious, full-bodied style of Kabinett, full of typical Oberhauser tropical fruit. This is a little more on the riper side of Kabinett, and mixed with the power and concentration of fruit, makes for quite the showstopper. Succulent sums up this wine on the palate, exploding your saliva glands, full of ripe nectarine, honeysuckle, crystalline peaches and a hint of mango. A smashing foil for Hot Thai Curries and spicy East Asian cuisine – or just smash a bottle with friends – it will be hard to put the glass down. 96pts James Suckling

 

Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Spätlese 2023 9% ABV £48.99 p/b

One of the aspects I like about this Spätlese in 2023 is the combination of expected rich and ripe fruit, but specifically here, there is an amazing, vibrant, powerhouse of lucent acidity that runs through the fruit giving the wine magnificent energy, I mean, this is so bright you could power Las Vegas with it. Laser-like and striking in terms of precision, mangos and pineapples bring lush fruit to zingy grapefruit and voltaic Passion fruit. Tension makes this wine compelling. It is pure and direct and long in the finish. The best Oberhauser Brucke I’ve ever tasted. 98pts James Suckling

So come on, we’re in the hotter months, what’s better to drink than life affirming Riesling, with all of its mineral complexity, myriad of ripeness levels, layers of flavour and almost guilt free lower ABVs. This is borderline rehydration. It’s hard to think of a better, more gastronomic, versatile and compelling set of wines to have by you over the remaining summer months – and if you want to store the odd bottle or two, even better. Remember it’s 5% off 6btls and 10% off of 12btls – mixed or straight cases.

 

Drop me a line, you know where I am. Never be a stranger, come and talk wine and better yet, buy some and indulge the senses.

 

All the best and cheers!

Jim