2022 Weingut Dönnhoff Felsenberg Felsentürmchen Grosses Gewachs
| Type of Wine | White |
|---|---|
| Country | Germany |
| Region | |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Grape | |
| Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (13%) |
| Drink window | 2024 - 2060 |
Description
A truly magnificent Riesling from Weingut Dönnhoff, with its 9 Grosse Lagen (large layers) is considered one of the absolute top wines in the region. This Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg GG comes from the very old and famous Felsenberg vineyard, beautifully situated on a steep, south-facing slope. The vines grow under extreme conditions in soil with weathered volcanic porphyry. The stony soil warms up quickly during the day, resulting in highly distinctive Rieslings with a spicy fruitiness and mineral acidity, internationally recognized for their distinctive, beautiful aromas. At the heart of this fantastic vineyard stands the Felsentürmchen ("little rock tower"), which is also depicted on the label. The vines are approximately 25-35 years old, and the mineral-rich Felsenberg grapes are always harvested with great care, selectively, and, of course, by hand. Weingut Dönnhoff is located in the Nahe wine region. The region is naturally named after the eponymous river and boasts beautiful steep slopes with slate and volcanic soils that provide ideal conditions for richly mineral Rieslings. The Nahe region primarily produces white wine, approximately 75% of which is Riesling. The area boasts some 4,000 hectares of vineyards.
This Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs is beautifully dry, exceptionally complex, with a deep, smoky, and crystalline minerality—unmistakably Felsenberg! Made from grapes from the best steep-sided plots surrounding the small rock tower (Felsentürmchen) in the heart of the beautiful Schlossböckelheim Felsenberg estate. Excellent Riesling terroir with soils of red volcanic igneous rock, a blend of porphyry and melaphyry.
Very nice as an aperitif. Also delicious with poultry, pork, and fish.
VDP (Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter) Grosse Lage is the designation for the very best German vineyards, each parcel of which is precisely defined. The VDP is a leading organization representing approximately 200 of Germany's best winegrowers. The VDP has mapped the quality of vineyards (and their wines) and categorized them as Erste Lage and Grosse Lage, comparable to the Premier Cru and Grand Cru qualifications in Burgundy. The VDP classification focuses on terroir rather than must weight. Unique wines with a special expression of the specific plot, a mature character, and great aging potential are born here. Only the very best grape varieties, specifically suited to the vineyard, are privileged to be planted here. The strictest possible production criteria guarantee a place at the top of the VDP qualification pyramid.
Specifications
| Packing information | Box |
|---|---|
| Type of Wine | White |
| Country | Germany |
| Region | Nahe |
| Winery | Weingut Donnhoff |
| Grape | Riesling |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Drinking as of | 2024 |
| Drinking till | 2060 |
| Alcohol % | 13 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 96 |
| James Suckling rating | 95 |
| Vinous rating | 97 |
| Tasting Profiles | Aromatisch, Bloemig, Complex, Droog, Fris, Fruitig, Mineraal, Strak, Wit fruit |
| Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe |
Professional Reviews
Parker
Rating
96
Release Price
NA
Drink Date
2022 - 2060
Reviewed by
Stephan Reinhardt
Issue Date
25th Aug 2022
Source
August 2022 Week 4, The Wine Advocate
Dönnhoff's 2021 Felsenberg GG is pure, bright and flinty on the deep, intense and iodine nose that also reveals phenolic complexity. Full-bodied but refined and elegant on the plate, this is a balanced and light-footed, rich and dense Felsenberg with juicy fruit and crystalline acidity, whereas the tannins step back compared to the Höllenpfad im Mühlenberg. The finish is rich yet refined and saline, with delicate lemon bitters and lush fruit. Although the 2021 is already charming, the wine needs some years on the bottle to show all its complexity and finesse without its youthful charm. This is not an austere wine that needs to soften its edges; it's already dangerously good or even too good to cause patience. But the wine will reward those who can wait. 13% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in July 2022.
2021 is, after a long time, once again a classic vintage, something Cornelius Dönnhoff has not had in this century, but for his father Helmut, a harvest in late October and November was still common. The harvest at Dönnhoff was a good two or three weeks later than in recent years, after there had been no hot spells but frequent showers without thunderstorms. Peronospora was the challenge of the vintage. It required meticulous crop protection as well as foliar work to keep the foliage wall airy and healthy. Without such, as well as a late harvest, physiological ripeness would not have been achievable in 2021. The harvest began in the last week of September and lasted until the second week of November, when the nights had long since returned to a sensitive cool. Must weights were low, but the grapes were still ripe, even though acids were very high. Dönnhoff maintains a large team and was able to harvest at the right time in every site. Since there was virtually no botrytis in the middle Nahe, it was not possible to select any Beerenauslesen and Trockenbeerenauslesen here, just Eiswein.
The musts were cool due to the cold nights and could be processed without haste.
That the 2021s also managed without residual sugar to balance the high acidity (10 grams per liter) is something no one would have thought at the beginning of harvest, even at Dönnhoff. But since it was partly precipitated as tartar, the wines are riper and rounder on the palate than was thought in the fall. In order to buffer the acidity naturally (with potassium and calcium), the musts were left on the extract-rich grapes longer than usual. The tartaric acid thus found binding partners and could partially precipitate, if the wine was given enough time.
The results of the vintage are outstanding, especially with Dönnhoff, especially with the Grosses Gewächs and the Auslese category. I caught the GG from the Dellchen at the perfect moment at the end of July, but the wine still tasted great to me four weeks later in Wiesbaden.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
DÖNNHOFF RIESLING NAHE FELSENBERG GG 2022
Monday, August 7, 2023
CountryGermany
RegionNahe
Vintage2022
CHECK PRICE
DOWNLOAD SHELFTALKER
Score
95
Ripe and concentrated, but also quite austere with stacks of spice and grapefruit character; everything from the juice to the pith and zest! A seriously dry riesling, but with moderate acidity. Long crushed rock finish. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
(95-97)
Drinking Window
2027 - 2050
From: 2022 Rheinhessen & Nahe: Rain in the Nick of Time (Sep 2023)
The 2022 Riesling Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Felsentürmchen Grosses Gewächs is from a steep site of volcanic origin with porphyry and melaphyr. A touch of yeastiness still plays on the shy, tentative nose. The palate comes in with stony saltiness, a tingling sense of juicy lemon intensifying the salty impression even more. Great concentration aligns with lightness and energetic linearity. The bright acidity has a serene luminosity and ripe yet crystal clear smoothness that seems to stretch away into eternity, lighting the way, gliding along, dynamic, optimistic, promising and full of light. (Bone-dry)
- By Anne Krebiehl MW on June 2023
Dönnhoff is one of Germany’s best wine estates. First father Helmut and now son Cornelius Dönnhoff have presented stellar Riesling collections year after year, expressing their manifold sites with much precision, exacting clarity and genuine tension. Helmut took over his parental estate in 1971 and understood that the steep, sloping areas were far more suited to his vision than the flatter vineyards that were easy to farm. His preference and foresight, along with those of his ancestors, explain the portfolio of outstanding sites that include no fewer than nine Grosse Lagen, including the monopole of Oberhäuser Brücke. The remaining eight Grosse Lagen are Oberhäuser Leistenberg, Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg, Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle, Norheimer Dellchen and Kirschheck, Bad Kreuznacher Kahlenberg and Krötenpfuhl and Roxheimer Höllenpfad. Cornelius Dönnhoff, who trained in Baden, Australia (with Jeffrey Grosset) and New Zealand, has made the wines since 2007 and has since insisted on a bone-dry style. Absolutely healthy grapes are de rigueur for the dry wines. They operate three inert presses, and the fruit is crushed only slightly before being placed in the presses. Most of the skin contact thus takes place during the slow press cycle. There are no rules on destemming or whole bunch, either. Everything is decided batch by batch, there and then, by father and son, depending on acidity. Most musts start fermenting on their own. Those that do not are inoculated with cultured yeast. There are no rules on stainless steel or oak. Helmut Dönnhoff points out that they have the same capacity in steel and oak, both Stück and Doppelstück, so they never have to decide based on fermentation vessel availability. As a rule, the GGs are fermented in wood and stay on gross lees until June and in stainless steel for another four weeks before bottling. The Dönnhoffs started the 2022 harvest with Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris on 12 September – the earliest ever for these varieties – while the Riesling harvest began on 24 September, once the weather had turned, with the main Riesling harvest taking place in the first two weeks of October, finishing on 18 October.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
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Wijnhuis
Weingut Dönnhoff is a winery located in the Nahe, Germany. The estate is known for producing high-quality Rieslings, which are considered some of the best in the world. The winery has a long history of winemaking and is widely respected for its dedication to producing exceptional wines with a sense of place and terroir.
History of Weingut Dönnhoff
The Dönnhoff family has been involved in the wine world for generations, and the history of the estate dates back to the mid-18th century. Helmut Dönnhoff, who took over the estate in the 1980s, has been instrumental in improving production. Under his leadership, Weingut Dönnhoff saw a significant transformation and gained recognition as one of the best wineries in Germany. Helmut Dönnhoff's approach to winemaking is rooted in a commitment to quality and terroir expression. He implemented meticulous vineyard management and winemaking techniques to produce wines that reflect the unique characteristics of the Nahe. The estate's focus on Riesling has been a defining feature of its history.
Nahe
The Nahe region is located between the Palatinate in the south and the Moselle wine region in the north. The Nahe River flows through the region and gives it its name. The region's diverse topography includes valleys, hills, and terraced vineyards. One of the most distinctive features of the Nahe is its varied terroir. The soil types here range from volcanic, shale and sandstone to clay and limestone. This diversity allows for the cultivation of a wide range of grape varieties and wine styles.
The Nahe region is known for the production of high-quality Rieslings. Riesling thrives in these diverse soil and microclimate conditions of the region. In addition to Riesling, other white grape varieties such as Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) are also grown, and some red varieties such as Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) can be found. The Nahe benefits from a variety of microclimates, influenced by its topography and proximity to the Rhine. The region has warmer and drier areas in the valleys, as well as cooler, higher elevation locations, which allow for the production of different styles of wine, from dry to sweet. The Nahe is known for producing a wide range of wine styles, from bone-dry and crunchy Rieslings to deliciously sweet and botrytized dessert wines (noble rot). The region is also known for its sparkling wines and rosé wines.
Production by Weingut Dönnhoff
Weingut Dönnhoff is especially praised for its Rieslings, which are known for their elegance, precision, and terroir expression. They produce a variety of Riesling styles, from dry to sweet, as well as noble sweet wines made from grapes with botryt. The estate is committed to sustainable viticulture and uses environmentally friendly farming methods. They strive to minimize their impact on the environment while producing high-quality grapes. Weingut Dönnhoff's wines have received wide recognition and numerous awards from wine critics and organizations. They are highly sought after by collectors and wine lovers around the world. In addition to Riesling, Weingut Dönnhoff also produces other white grape varieties, including Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) and Silvaner.
A truly magnificent Riesling from Weingut Dönnhoff, with its 9 Grosse Lagen (large layers) is considered one of the absolute top wines in the region. This Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg GG comes from the very old and famous Felsenberg vineyard, beautifully situated on a steep, south-facing slope. The vines grow under extreme conditions in soil with weathered volcanic porphyry. The stony soil warms up quickly during the day, resulting in highly distinctive Rieslings with a spicy fruitiness and mineral acidity, internationally recognized for their distinctive, beautiful aromas. At the heart of this fantastic vineyard stands the Felsentürmchen ("little rock tower"), which is also depicted on the label. The vines are approximately 25-35 years old, and the mineral-rich Felsenberg grapes are always harvested with great care, selectively, and, of course, by hand. Weingut Dönnhoff is located in the Nahe wine region. The region is naturally named after the eponymous river and boasts beautiful steep slopes with slate and volcanic soils that provide ideal conditions for richly mineral Rieslings. The Nahe region primarily produces white wine, approximately 75% of which is Riesling. The area boasts some 4,000 hectares of vineyards.
This Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs is beautifully dry, exceptionally complex, with a deep, smoky, and crystalline minerality—unmistakably Felsenberg! Made from grapes from the best steep-sided plots surrounding the small rock tower (Felsentürmchen) in the heart of the beautiful Schlossböckelheim Felsenberg estate. Excellent Riesling terroir with soils of red volcanic igneous rock, a blend of porphyry and melaphyry.
Very nice as an aperitif. Also delicious with poultry, pork, and fish.
VDP (Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter) Grosse Lage is the designation for the very best German vineyards, each parcel of which is precisely defined. The VDP is a leading organization representing approximately 200 of Germany's best winegrowers. The VDP has mapped the quality of vineyards (and their wines) and categorized them as Erste Lage and Grosse Lage, comparable to the Premier Cru and Grand Cru qualifications in Burgundy. The VDP classification focuses on terroir rather than must weight. Unique wines with a special expression of the specific plot, a mature character, and great aging potential are born here. Only the very best grape varieties, specifically suited to the vineyard, are privileged to be planted here. The strictest possible production criteria guarantee a place at the top of the VDP qualification pyramid.
| Packing information | Box |
|---|---|
| Type of Wine | White |
| Country | Germany |
| Region | Nahe |
| Winery | Weingut Donnhoff |
| Grape | Riesling |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Drinking as of | 2024 |
| Drinking till | 2060 |
| Alcohol % | 13 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 96 |
| James Suckling rating | 95 |
| Vinous rating | 97 |
| Tasting Profiles | Aromatisch, Bloemig, Complex, Droog, Fris, Fruitig, Mineraal, Strak, Wit fruit |
| Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe |
Parker
Rating
96
Release Price
NA
Drink Date
2022 - 2060
Reviewed by
Stephan Reinhardt
Issue Date
25th Aug 2022
Source
August 2022 Week 4, The Wine Advocate
Dönnhoff's 2021 Felsenberg GG is pure, bright and flinty on the deep, intense and iodine nose that also reveals phenolic complexity. Full-bodied but refined and elegant on the plate, this is a balanced and light-footed, rich and dense Felsenberg with juicy fruit and crystalline acidity, whereas the tannins step back compared to the Höllenpfad im Mühlenberg. The finish is rich yet refined and saline, with delicate lemon bitters and lush fruit. Although the 2021 is already charming, the wine needs some years on the bottle to show all its complexity and finesse without its youthful charm. This is not an austere wine that needs to soften its edges; it's already dangerously good or even too good to cause patience. But the wine will reward those who can wait. 13% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in July 2022.
2021 is, after a long time, once again a classic vintage, something Cornelius Dönnhoff has not had in this century, but for his father Helmut, a harvest in late October and November was still common. The harvest at Dönnhoff was a good two or three weeks later than in recent years, after there had been no hot spells but frequent showers without thunderstorms. Peronospora was the challenge of the vintage. It required meticulous crop protection as well as foliar work to keep the foliage wall airy and healthy. Without such, as well as a late harvest, physiological ripeness would not have been achievable in 2021. The harvest began in the last week of September and lasted until the second week of November, when the nights had long since returned to a sensitive cool. Must weights were low, but the grapes were still ripe, even though acids were very high. Dönnhoff maintains a large team and was able to harvest at the right time in every site. Since there was virtually no botrytis in the middle Nahe, it was not possible to select any Beerenauslesen and Trockenbeerenauslesen here, just Eiswein.
The musts were cool due to the cold nights and could be processed without haste.
That the 2021s also managed without residual sugar to balance the high acidity (10 grams per liter) is something no one would have thought at the beginning of harvest, even at Dönnhoff. But since it was partly precipitated as tartar, the wines are riper and rounder on the palate than was thought in the fall. In order to buffer the acidity naturally (with potassium and calcium), the musts were left on the extract-rich grapes longer than usual. The tartaric acid thus found binding partners and could partially precipitate, if the wine was given enough time.
The results of the vintage are outstanding, especially with Dönnhoff, especially with the Grosses Gewächs and the Auslese category. I caught the GG from the Dellchen at the perfect moment at the end of July, but the wine still tasted great to me four weeks later in Wiesbaden.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
DÖNNHOFF RIESLING NAHE FELSENBERG GG 2022
Monday, August 7, 2023
CountryGermany
RegionNahe
Vintage2022
CHECK PRICE
DOWNLOAD SHELFTALKER
Score
95
Ripe and concentrated, but also quite austere with stacks of spice and grapefruit character; everything from the juice to the pith and zest! A seriously dry riesling, but with moderate acidity. Long crushed rock finish. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
(95-97)
Drinking Window
2027 - 2050
From: 2022 Rheinhessen & Nahe: Rain in the Nick of Time (Sep 2023)
The 2022 Riesling Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Felsentürmchen Grosses Gewächs is from a steep site of volcanic origin with porphyry and melaphyr. A touch of yeastiness still plays on the shy, tentative nose. The palate comes in with stony saltiness, a tingling sense of juicy lemon intensifying the salty impression even more. Great concentration aligns with lightness and energetic linearity. The bright acidity has a serene luminosity and ripe yet crystal clear smoothness that seems to stretch away into eternity, lighting the way, gliding along, dynamic, optimistic, promising and full of light. (Bone-dry)
- By Anne Krebiehl MW on June 2023
Dönnhoff is one of Germany’s best wine estates. First father Helmut and now son Cornelius Dönnhoff have presented stellar Riesling collections year after year, expressing their manifold sites with much precision, exacting clarity and genuine tension. Helmut took over his parental estate in 1971 and understood that the steep, sloping areas were far more suited to his vision than the flatter vineyards that were easy to farm. His preference and foresight, along with those of his ancestors, explain the portfolio of outstanding sites that include no fewer than nine Grosse Lagen, including the monopole of Oberhäuser Brücke. The remaining eight Grosse Lagen are Oberhäuser Leistenberg, Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg, Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle, Norheimer Dellchen and Kirschheck, Bad Kreuznacher Kahlenberg and Krötenpfuhl and Roxheimer Höllenpfad. Cornelius Dönnhoff, who trained in Baden, Australia (with Jeffrey Grosset) and New Zealand, has made the wines since 2007 and has since insisted on a bone-dry style. Absolutely healthy grapes are de rigueur for the dry wines. They operate three inert presses, and the fruit is crushed only slightly before being placed in the presses. Most of the skin contact thus takes place during the slow press cycle. There are no rules on destemming or whole bunch, either. Everything is decided batch by batch, there and then, by father and son, depending on acidity. Most musts start fermenting on their own. Those that do not are inoculated with cultured yeast. There are no rules on stainless steel or oak. Helmut Dönnhoff points out that they have the same capacity in steel and oak, both Stück and Doppelstück, so they never have to decide based on fermentation vessel availability. As a rule, the GGs are fermented in wood and stay on gross lees until June and in stainless steel for another four weeks before bottling. The Dönnhoffs started the 2022 harvest with Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris on 12 September – the earliest ever for these varieties – while the Riesling harvest began on 24 September, once the weather had turned, with the main Riesling harvest taking place in the first two weeks of October, finishing on 18 October.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
Weingut Dönnhoff is a winery located in the Nahe, Germany. The estate is known for producing high-quality Rieslings, which are considered some of the best in the world. The winery has a long history of winemaking and is widely respected for its dedication to producing exceptional wines with a sense of place and terroir.
History of Weingut Dönnhoff
The Dönnhoff family has been involved in the wine world for generations, and the history of the estate dates back to the mid-18th century. Helmut Dönnhoff, who took over the estate in the 1980s, has been instrumental in improving production. Under his leadership, Weingut Dönnhoff saw a significant transformation and gained recognition as one of the best wineries in Germany. Helmut Dönnhoff's approach to winemaking is rooted in a commitment to quality and terroir expression. He implemented meticulous vineyard management and winemaking techniques to produce wines that reflect the unique characteristics of the Nahe. The estate's focus on Riesling has been a defining feature of its history.
Nahe
The Nahe region is located between the Palatinate in the south and the Moselle wine region in the north. The Nahe River flows through the region and gives it its name. The region's diverse topography includes valleys, hills, and terraced vineyards. One of the most distinctive features of the Nahe is its varied terroir. The soil types here range from volcanic, shale and sandstone to clay and limestone. This diversity allows for the cultivation of a wide range of grape varieties and wine styles.
The Nahe region is known for the production of high-quality Rieslings. Riesling thrives in these diverse soil and microclimate conditions of the region. In addition to Riesling, other white grape varieties such as Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc) are also grown, and some red varieties such as Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) can be found. The Nahe benefits from a variety of microclimates, influenced by its topography and proximity to the Rhine. The region has warmer and drier areas in the valleys, as well as cooler, higher elevation locations, which allow for the production of different styles of wine, from dry to sweet. The Nahe is known for producing a wide range of wine styles, from bone-dry and crunchy Rieslings to deliciously sweet and botrytized dessert wines (noble rot). The region is also known for its sparkling wines and rosé wines.
Production by Weingut Dönnhoff
Weingut Dönnhoff is especially praised for its Rieslings, which are known for their elegance, precision, and terroir expression. They produce a variety of Riesling styles, from dry to sweet, as well as noble sweet wines made from grapes with botryt. The estate is committed to sustainable viticulture and uses environmentally friendly farming methods. They strive to minimize their impact on the environment while producing high-quality grapes. Weingut Dönnhoff's wines have received wide recognition and numerous awards from wine critics and organizations. They are highly sought after by collectors and wine lovers around the world. In addition to Riesling, Weingut Dönnhoff also produces other white grape varieties, including Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) and Silvaner.
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