Dönnhoff ‘Oberhäuser Brücke’ Spätlese, 2006
~$46US, 100% Riesling, Nahe, Germany
Helmut Donnhoff is a master wine-creator, without question. His family’s Nahe vineyards produce exemplary Rieslings that stand up to any in the world, each with a signature sense of balance, place and power.
The Oberhauser Brucke is absolutely shocking in its intensity across the board, from nose to finish. There is a sense of infusion, like the liquid had been invisibly fortified by more Riesling-ness. Dazzling and complex on the nose, with pineapple, lime, and green apple on the top end and a substantial base of red cherry, red apple, and red currant. Even strawberry. Vivid like a kaleidoscope, but hard to pin down definitively.
Viscious palate transitioning from the lush fruit towards a brilliant acidity - like a gemstone hiding in a velvet bag. Perfect balance, I never once even considered the notion of ’sweetness’ or ‘acidity’ or ‘minerality’….everything just seems so right, concentrated, full of energy and vibrancy. Of course it was all there, but the qualities of each played into an overall transcendent harmony. A singular wine enjoyable now, but full of complexities to be revealved over the next 10-20 years. One of the most memorable wines this year.
[...] meaning selected ripe berries. The lightbulb went off in my head after the recent fantastic Donnhoff Spatlese, where I realized that these labels (Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, etc) are quality markers, not [...]