Producer Spotlight: Dönnhoff

While sold in essence as a basic Gutswein, the Dönnhoff Trocken is hardly that. It is a unique blend primarily from three villages of estate-grown fruit which are grown on three individual soil types. The blending between porphyry, volcanic and slate soils add to a complexity in the grapes rarely seen in “entry level” wines. The wine’s purity and quality is further enhanced with all its fruits having been hand harvested from the vines ranging from 15 to 30 years. Trocken is a standout amongst its peers from the region and truly great representation of the hallmarks of Dönnhoff.

Roxheimer Höllenpfad is a famously steep slope within the Nahe. It draws its name from “path to Hell”, making reference to its incredible incline and veins of red sandstone running down the vineyard. One of the more recently acquired parcels, the Dönnhoff family saw its untapped potential and promptly added it to the impressive suite of sites they work with. Red sandstone is seen to translate into a spicy fruit characters in the wines, with a steely line of acid as the backbone. Dönhoff’s Roxheimer Höllenpfad is a remarkable cuvée set to rival the others from the domaine.

For over 100 years, the Hermannshöhle has been revered as the Nahe‘s top-ranked site and the benchmark by which all other vineyards in the region are judged. A perfect, steep southern slope with soils of blackish grey slate and volcanic elements extremely rich in minerals, its name is derived from a small hole (höhle) in the middle of the slope, with reference to the Roman god of messengers and travellers, Hermes.

The prestige and quality of the wines produced from here certainly indicate that the Romans may have been onto something. The true crown jewel within the Dönnhoff estate, Grosses Gewächs is a term reserved only for the great dry wines, predominantly Riesling, from single sites.