DÖNNHOFF - Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Auslese GK 2005
Weingut Dönnhoff is located in Oberhausen in the Nahe region of the Rhineland, Germany. The Dönnhoff family has been producing wine in this region since the 1750s. However, with the takeover of Helmut Dönnhoff in 1971, the estate has gradually grown from 4 hectares to its current size of 20 hectares of vineyard, with a good proportion of Erste Lage sites (best sites). Today, Cornelius Dönnhoff manages the estate. About 80% of the total production is made with the Riesling grape, the rest of the Dönnhoff vineyards being devoted to Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Vinification is simple at Dönnhoff, with pressing in whole bunches followed by 10 to 18 hours of settling, then fermentation in barrels or stainless steel vats. After resting on lees, the wines are filtered in March after vintage and bottled a few months later. About 10,000 cases are produced each year.
The Felsenberg site is located in Schlossböckelheim, between cliffs and the river Nahe. Although the wines from this site share a smoky-mineral character with those from the neighbouring Kupfergrube (both have volcanic melaphry soil), the Felsenberg wines are more succulent in their youth, often with a hint of exotic fruit.
Auslese is made from grapes that have a sweetness level of 83–110 Oechsle (the hydrometric scale measuring the density of grape must) which is equivalent to 191–260 g/L of residual sugar, and where the grapes are hand-selected and have noble rot.
Grape variety: 100% Riesling
