TN (sort of): Donnhoff

Our shop ran a German wine blow-out sale on Sunday, 30-50% off regular prices. Sure, my hands priced up a bunch of great wines, but since I already own gobs of Germans, I didn’t snatch up any of the gems for myself. I dutifully put everything out for sale.
On Monday morning I couldn’t help but notice that several Donnhoff bottles were still for sale! “What fools!” I thought.
Of course, I took them home!

Fast forward a day to Tuesday, a disgustingly humid day in Boston. What to drink with turkey burgers? Hmmm…

Donnhoff 2004 Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese (WHY NOT!?)

My wife has no clue to what I’ve opened, but takes a whiff and sip and says something along these lines:“What the $%#& is this?! It’s delicious!”
Ahh, this wine is still the cherry blossom bomb I remember from its release a few years ago. Tons of creamy, sultry red fruit held up by acid and mineral flavors. I remembered this being a little more taut with saline, but tonight it was the best “Adult Kool-Aid” ever, especially for $25. Nothing like a half-price Donnhoff to make one’s night.

Great story, Peter. Your wife knows what is good… [good.gif]

BTW, a few weeks ago I had 2001 Dönnhoff “Hermannshöhle” Spätlese trocken. Unbelievable young, we had to wait 1h that the Riesling open. Smoky wth a big minerality of flintstone, razor-sharp acidity and flavors of citrus-fruits. In addition a breathtaking length&complexity. Would clearly outperform all Chardonnays from Burgundy or other Rieslings from Austria.
96pts.

The basic 2004 Estate Riesling [the one that usually retails in the general vicinity of $19.99] is in a very special place right now.

I am finding that I really like Donnhoff a lot better in the “cool” vintages [at least for early consumption - I don’t have any idea what the “hot” vintages will taste like in a few decades].