2009 Hermannshohle Grosses Gewachs

Green tea, sage, musky narcissus, white peach, grapefruit, passion fruit, and pineapple mingle on the nose as well as on the seductively silken yet brightly citric palate of Donnhoff's 2009 Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Grosses Gewachs. There is a striking sense of clarity and shimmering interchange of fruit and mineral elements here as well as infectious saliva-inducement. Re-tasting this blind in November I was struck by its brightness of fruit and the extent of its resemblance to a great Sancerre, a comparison which I realize may draw the ire of purists. This will be worth following for a dozen or more years, and its complexity may ultimately rival that of the today also more ingratiating Dellchen. "In a great vintage with good weather this prolonged," remarks Helmut Donnhoff of 2009, only half in humor, "the only time limit to harvest is that set by the wild boar." And most of the excitement here this year - including the remarkable range of Spatlesen and the botrytis selections - was generated from a single week's picking in early November. "It's a year of the naked wine," adds Donnhoff, pointing to what he perceives as the stark portrayal of vineyard typicity that runs through his entire 2009 collection. His recent arrangement with the new Gut Hermannsberg (whose origins and inaugural vintage are canvassed elsewhere in this report) has taken Schlossbockelheimer Kupfergrube out of Helmut Donnhoff's line-up, while he has roughly doubled the surface area in the Hermannshohle under his control (to nearly 10 acres, or roughly half the Einzellage). The suggested retail prices I received from Donnhoff's importer represented significant price reductions vis-a-vis the last two years - and prices on the estate's private customer list have remained virtually unchanged for several years - adding yet another reason to seek them out. "I want to offer my customers good value," remarks Donnhoff with, in my view, considerable understatement, "and I'm proud of the fact that nobody in the trade who has bought from me has lost money reselling my wine." Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

Complex, appetising, distinctive citrus nose. Well balanced and complete. It doesn’t seem terrifically Rheingau (Nahe perhaps?) but it does seem delicious! Still youthfully unfurled. (JR)

Full and generous nose of all fruit that’s yellow, with only a minor supporting role left for spontaneous fermentation aromas. On the palate this is still very tight, but very compact and with a super concentration of yellow fruit and minerality at the core. Whereas the 2008 took its edge from the acidity, the 2009 relies on a subtle touch of bitterness to perfect its balance. (MS)