2004 Dönnhoff Riesling - Germany, Nahe (8/1/2009)
An okay bottle of wine but a disappointing Donnhoff. Even though it’s just an estate riesling I probably had too high expectations for this wine. It is, after all, Donnhoff! and 2004! Bone dry. Seems drier than 9.0 percent, although I understand all of that is relative in the balance of the wine. Nice nose with citrus and some minerality. Maybe the best part of the wine. The palate, well that’s different. A little bit of baked apple but more citrus and other white fruits. But the finish is just all off. There’s a modest flare of alcohol but worse there’s an odd vegetal flavor that lingers.
The first Donnhoff I tried was the 2005 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Kabinett and it was a disappointment too, although it got better on the second day. Even though this an estate wine, I had higher expectations because of the pedigree and the vintage. The 2007 Willi Schaefer estate riesling gives this wine an atomic wedgie. The 2007 Von Hovel Balduin is better. Even the 2007 Talley riesling is better. I was looking at other tasting notes and saw Aulus gave an AP No. of 7 753 010 20 05. The AP No. on this wine is 7 753 010 30 05. It’s a Dee Vine Wines import. Maybe it’s from different fruit. I can imagine Terry Thiese, in his best Nelson Munz voice, pointing and going, “Ha Hah!”
I have never been a huge fan of the Donnhoff QbA. Stick with the Spatlese. They rock the house.
I on the other hand love the QbA, but generally don’t cellar. I just buy 4-12 and drink over a year and then buy the new one. I did like the 04 on release.
As to the 05 OL Kab, I felt that the plumpness of the vintage didn’t do so well with that vineyard. I like the 07 a lot, though.
I’ll be trying a 2004 Dönnhoff Schloßböckelheimer Felsenberg Spätlese in a couple of weeks, I think. Still young, I guess, but we’ll see how it works.
The 2004 Felsenberg was utterly beguilding on release. I would expect it might be sleeping a bit right now but still likely quite delicious.
Yeah, that’s what they said on eBob.
I’ve got plenty of non-Donnhoff to drink. How soon until it’s open again?
Steve.
I spoke to Helmut Doennhoff about the drinking windows for his wines, and he told me that the trocken Spaetlese are best in year one or two after harvest and then after age 7-8. The GG are best in the first two years, and then after 8-10 years. The Spaetlesen (non-trocken) are to be consumed at age 1-2 or after 10 years or more. Auslesen even older and TBA and Eiswein even older with aging potential of 50 years plus.
Helmut didn’t say that the wines were terrible in that middle window, but stated they are often very awkward.
SP