Dönnhoff

Oberhausen, Nahe

Vineyard area: 12.5 ha (31 acres)
Best sites: Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle, Oberhäuser Brücke, Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg and Kupfergrube
Soils: Grey slate and weathered volcanic soil
Production: 6,700 cases

Tasting Notes

Kanzel Pinot Noir 2005

Clear, brilliant straw color with a wide watery rim. A few bubbles escaped when I poured the wine into the glass. Very mineral nose, fresh and clean like the air in a winter landscape. Citrus aromas give the minerality an even sharper profile. As wine warms up the nose reveals the restraint sweetness of white flesh fruit. The palate is slightly off-dry with a hint of residual sugar, which is not so much giving the wine sweetness but provides a pleasant softness for the sharp minerality. The acidity is high but balanced by the residual sugar. The palate adds a tropical note of pineapple, somewhat surprisingly after the stoically mineral nose. The length is medium long and finishes on a spicy note.

Doennhoffs Estate Riesling shows that even an entry-level wine can be quite exciting. Comparing it to other Rieslings in this price category I ask myself how they were able to give it such perfect harmony. 2007-2012.