DÖNNHOFF - Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Auslese (Soft) 2005
Nahe
The Domaine is now spread over 25 hectares planted with 80% Riesling, accompanied by 20% Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc.
The vines are between 15 and 60 years old, and the soils are mainly composed of schists and volcanic rock scree. The yields are pushed to about 50 hectoliters per hectare and the aging is precisely balanced between stainless steel vats and German oak barrels.
The world of German Rieslings is unique in its kind and in general, their expressions are very recognizable whether they are vinified in dry or late harvest. It is always very complicated to understand the organization of German wines, here is some essential information to find in labels that are often very busy and often too little translated.
In the category that interests us, namely Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP-appellation of superior quality), we have 6 levels corresponding to the degrees of maturity of the grape: The Kabinett is light, fresh and elegant. The Spätlese is denser and sweeter because it is harvested 7 days after the start of the harvest. The Auslese is an even later harvest, these wines reach maturity after 5 years in the bottle. Beerenauslese (BA) is a selection of noble botrytised beans and finally the Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) is an even later selection of noble beans botrytised raisined on strain. Finally, the famous Eiswein is an ice wine harvested between November and January.
The legendary Domaine Dönnhoff is renowned for the precision of its wines, the aromatic intensity of the plots and above all their legendary ability to produce wines where the sugar / acid balance is at its peak. Superb notes of vine peach, apple, grapefruit, rose petal, honey and cut grass are expected on young wines. When fully ripe, the smoky mineral (here called petroleum), the mandarin, the infusion aromas, the truffle, the graphite ... so much depth which places Dönnhoff as one of the greatest winegrowers on the planet.
