Riesling was my first love as a wine enthusiast and it remains my most treasured variety. We at Vinopolis have at many times in this newsletter extolled the virtues of this grape and I hope dearly that we have convinced the unknowing to sample it for the very first time. I recall clearly the moment in which my own father was instantly baptized into a passion for wine following his first eye opening riesling experience at the hand of Weingut Dönnhoff.
Context for you all: I grew up in a teetotaling and a religious family that saw alcohol as a pastime of debauchery and an instrument of bad habits. My first sip of anything with ABV came in college (I’m sure I’m not alone) and my first taste of fine wine came a few years later. As soon as I was hooked my broader family began to take notice. I started bringing exotic wines over and pushing to host family tastings in a desperate attempt to create comradery in my passion. My mom was skeptical, my father obliging, and my brothers more than willing (they’d already begun ABV journeys of their own), however, it wasn’t until a bottle of Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Auslese that I finally saw the light bulbs go off in my father’s head.
“This is incredible!”, he exclaimed. “It’s like there’s a thousand different points of flavor and minerality all being expressed at once and refusing to stop.” Ever since we’ve used physical shapes to describe certain grape varieties. Riesling to us is depicted as a sharply spiked ball extending in every direction, it’s the grape equivalent of a flavor supernova.
The man has never looked back. We regularly enjoy bottles of Dönnhoff riesling and joke to one another about how a substantial portion of the wine consuming world doesn’t understand riesling or its potential. We love Dönnhoff so much that we visited the winery itself last year to grab a taste at the source (photo below), and to witness the Hermannshöhle vineyard in all its greatness.
Hermannshöhle in hand. Mustache in flight.
The great Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle
I CANNOT recommend highly enough that you try Dönnhoff wines for yourself. These delectable whites cover a massive range of styles with literally all of them being dependably delicious. Below I’ve outlined the broad categores and listed everything we have available at Vinopolis.
Dönnhoff Dry Category Wines
Bright, mineral driven and food friendly dry knockouts. These will be tamer than your average Gross Gewachs and immensely crushable during the summer months.
| DONNHOFF WINE |
VWS PRICE |
AVAILABLE |
REVIEWS |
LINK |
CATEGORY |
| DONNHOFF ESTATE TROCKEN 2021 |
$22 |
34 |
|
Link |
DRY |
| DONNHOFF ESTATE TROCKEN 2021 MAG |
$59 |
2 |
|
Link |
DRY |
| DONNHOFF ESTATE TROCKEN 2022 |
$24 |
35 |
|
Link |
DRY |
| DONNHOFF GRAUBURGUNDER 2021 |
$26 |
9 |
90WA |
Link |
DRY |
| DONNHOFF GRAUBURGUNDER 2022 |
$27 |
12 |
|
Link |
DRY |
| DONNHOFF PINOT BRUT 2016 |
$66 |
18 |
92 VINOUS (14′) |
Link |
DRY |
| DONNHOFF PINOT BRUT 2017 |
$69 |
6 |
92 VINOUS (14′) |
Link |
DRY |
| DONNHOFF ROX HOLLEN TROK RIES 20 |
$39 |
7 |
95JS |
Link |
DRY |
| DONNHOFF ROX HOLLEN TROK RIES 21 |
$42 |
10 |
94WA |
Link |
DRY |
| DONNHOFF TONSCHIEFER TROCKEN 21 |
$28 |
52 |
92WA |
Link |
DRY |
| DONNHOFF TONSCHIEFER TROCKEN 22 |
$28 |
24 |
|
Link |
DRY |
| DONNHOFF WEISSBURGUNDER 2022 |
$24 |
24 |
|
Link |
DRY |
Dönnhoff Grand Cru Dry Wines
The highest quality and pedigree that German whites can offer. Dönnhoff is legendary for their ability to bring fruit to a more serious and austere style of riesling. These are benchmarks for those looking to enjoy dry styles from Germany and the Hermannshohle is particularly legendary.
| DONNHOFF WINE |
VWS PRICE |
AVAILABLE |
REVIEWS |
|
CATEGORY |
| DONNHOFF FELSENBERG GG 2018 750 |
$59 |
31 |
94JG |
Link |
GRAND CRU DRY |
| DONNHOFF FELSENBERG GG 2020 750 |
$69 |
45 |
98JS |
Link |
GRAND CRU DRY |
| DONNHOFF FELSENBERG GG 2021 750 |
$79 |
23 |
96WA |
Link |
GRAND CRU DRY |
| DONNHOFF HERMANNSHOHLE GG 2018 |
$89 |
1 |
97JG |
Link |
GRAND CRU DRY |
| DONNHOFF HERMANNSHOHLE GG 2021 |
$99 |
5 |
98-99WA |
Link |
GRAND CRU DRY |
| DONNHOFF HOLLENPFAD GG 18 |
$59 |
15 |
93JG |
Link |
GRAND CRU DRY |
| DONNHOFF KREUZ KROTENPFUHL GG 17 |
$49 |
11 |
95JS |
Link |
GRAND CRU DRY |
| DONNHOFF KREUZ KROTENPFUHL GG 18 |
$55 |
21 |
93JG |
Link |
GRAND CRU DRY |
Dönnhoff Off-Dry WinesThe heartbeat of the producer, these are the most classic wines in the entire lineup. There’s unending filigree and precision that this winery executes here. It’s impossible to describe the wonder of how slight sweetness can elevate aroma and tension in riesling. These are a masterclass in delivery.
| DONNHOFF WINE |
VWS PRICE |
AVAILABLE |
REVIEWS |
|
CATEGORY |
| DONNHOFF ESTATE RIESLING 2020 |
$21 |
1 |
92WA |
Link |
OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF ESTATE RIESLING 2021 |
$22 |
24 |
|
Link |
OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF ESTATE RIESLING 21 MAG |
$59 |
5 |
|
Link |
OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF KREUZ KROT KABINETT 20 |
$26 |
30 |
93WA |
Link |
OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF NIED HERM SPATLESE 21 |
$59 |
18 |
95WA |
Link |
OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF NORHEIM KIRSCH SPAT 20 |
$36 |
20 |
95WA |
Link |
OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF NORHEIM KIRSCH SPAT 21 |
$38 |
16 |
93+WA |
Link |
OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF NORHEIM KIRSCH SPAT 22 |
$45 |
24 |
|
Link |
OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF OBER LEIST KABINETT 20 |
$26 |
45 |
93WA |
Link |
OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF OBER LEIST KABINETT 21 |
$28 |
4 |
93WA |
Link |
OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF OBERHAUSER BRKE SPAT 19 |
$49 |
5 |
97JS |
Link |
OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF OBERHAUSER BRKE SPAT 20 |
$49 |
27 |
97JS |
Link |
OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF OBERHAUSER BRKE SPAT 21 |
$55 |
20 |
94WA |
Link |
OFF-DRY |
Dönnhoff Grand Cru Off-Dry WinesThe most complex and intense wines of the estate. The art of producing these later harvest whites is incredibly difficult and only mastered by a select few. These will age in your cellar for decades (not an exaggeration). Open them when the moment is right and you’ll be in heaven. Open them early? Still in heaven.
| DONNHOFF WINE |
VWS PRICE |
AVAILABLE |
REVIEWS |
|
CATEGORY |
| DONNHOFF FELSENBERG AUS 21 375 |
$49 |
10 |
96WA |
Link |
GRAND CRU OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF FELSENBERG AUS 21 750 |
$99 |
6 |
96WA |
Link |
GRAND CRU OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF NIEDER HERM AUS 20 375 |
$49 |
1 |
99JS |
Link |
GRAND CRU OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF NIEDER HERM AUS 21 375 |
$59 |
9 |
98WA |
Link |
GRAND CRU OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF NIEDER HERM AUS 21 750 |
$99 |
3 |
98WA |
Link |
GRAND CRU OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF OBER BRU AUS GK 20 375 |
$49 |
32 |
98JS |
Link |
GRAND CRU OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF OBER BRU AUS GK 20 750 |
$89 |
24 |
98JS |
Link |
GRAND CRU OFF-DRY |
| DONNHOFF OBER BRU AUS GK 21 750 |
$99 |
11 |
97WA |
Link |
GRAND CRU OFF-DRY |
Dönnhoff Aged BeautiesWe’re uniquely positioned to offer a broad selection of Dönnhoff wines that have aged gracefully at temperature control. These are inimitable examples of riesling’s beauty and its ability to evolve.
| DONNHOFF WINE |
VWS PRICE |
AVAILABLE |
REVIEWS |
|
CATEGORY |
| DONNHOFF KREUZ KROT KABINETT 18 |
$22 |
7 |
92VINOUS |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
| DONNHOFF NIEDER HERM AUS 18 375 |
$49 |
5 |
98JG |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
| DONNHOFF NIEDER HERM AUS 18 750 |
$79 |
10 |
98JG |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
| DONNHOFF NIEDER HERM BEERN 11 375 |
$149 |
3 |
96WA |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
| DONNHOFF NIEDER HERM BEERN 15 375 |
$138 |
11 |
95JG |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
| DONNHOFF NORHEIM KIRSCH SPAT 17 |
$39 |
6 |
93JS |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
| DONNHOFF NORHEIM KIRSCH SPAT 18 |
$33 |
11 |
92+JG |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
| DONNHOFF OBER BRU AUS GK 15 375 |
$42 |
1 |
95VINOUS |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
| DONNHOFF OBER BRU AUS GK 15 750 |
$79 |
1 |
9VINOUS |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
| DONNHOFF OBER BRU AUS GK 17 375 |
$39 |
1 |
98JS |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
| DONNHOFF OBER BRU AUS GK 17 750 |
$79 |
7 |
98JS |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
| DONNHOFF OBER BRU AUS GK 18 375 |
$37 |
26 |
96WA |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
| DONNHOFF OBER BRU AUS GK 18 750 |
$69 |
54 |
96WA |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
| DONNHOFF OBERHAUSER BRKE SPAT 15 |
$55 |
3 |
92+WA |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
| DONNHOFF OBERHAUSER BRKE SPAT 17 |
$49 |
9 |
96JS |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
| DONNHOFF OBERHAUSER BRKE SPAT 18 |
$38 |
31 |
95JG |
Link |
AGED BEAUTY |
We’re open 10 AM – 6 PM daily
Order Online / By Phone / By Email
Thank you from the team at Vinopolis!
Be well & drink well.
