This is a predominantly Balance & Finesse wine, but it shares structural nuances of Rich & Full as described in the tasting note below.
Tasting Notes
Medium plus bodied and a bit sweet with crisp acidity, this wine showcases flavors of ripe apple, white peach, lychee and honeysuckle, with undertones of mineral and spice that linger in the finish.
Body is the impression of a wines weight, density, or its ‘mouth-feel’. Some wines feel weighty, or full bodied, while others feel light bodied. Wine runs the gamut from light to full, with most falling somewhere in between.
ACIDITY
Low
Moderate
Balanced
Crisp
High
Acidity is a foundational component in wine. In fact, low acidity, or ‘flabby’ wine (as the term suggests) is a negative. You can sense acidity mainly on the sides of your tongue. Acidity generally ranges from balanced to high. Crisp acidity adds freshness, making your mouth water. Acidity is a necessary element and helps to balance other components.
SWEETNESS
Dry
Off Dry
Medium Dry
Medium Sweet
Very Sweet
Most wines are characterized as dry to off-dry, but there are some grape varietals, like Riesling, that run the gamut from dry to sweet. The tip of the tongue mainly detects sweetness, which is why it is often the primary characteristic detected. Sweetness is derived from residual sugar that did not ferment into alcohol.
ALCOHOL
8.5%
Alcohol is the by-product of fermentation. Differing grape varieties have differing potential alcohol levels, but regardless warmer areas result in riper grapes resulting in higher alcohol. Alcohol level is an objective number, but its affect on its palate impression is largely determined with how well integrated and balanced it is with other components.
Riesling is one of the greatest, long-lived white wines in the world, highly expressive of the nuances of its respective terroir. The wines are generally relatively low to moderate in alcohol with crisp acidity and full of flavor and extract. Stylistically, it can vary from bone dry to quite sweet, and with age can develop intense aromatics. Because Riesling is so expressive of the terroir from where it is grown, it can show a potential mix of floral, fruity, intensely mineral, smoky and/or spicy aromas and flavors depending on the soil, climate, and exposure.
The estate was started in the 1920s by Helmut Dönnhoff’s grandfather and Helmut now makes the wine along with his son, Cornelius. They manage some of the best vineyards in the Nahe and make some of the finest Grand Cru rieslings in Germany.
The property is sustainably dry-farmed, forgoing irrigation to encourage deep-rooted vines that are planted close to ground on wireframes so they can absorb the warmth that emanates from the stony topsoil.
Dönnhoff wines vary from bone-dry to very sweet, but their commonality is a rare complexity, intensity, and persistence that speaks to the terroir and the work of a talented family duo.
White Peach
Lychee
Honeysuckle
Sweet
