Product Description
100 points James Suckling
"Hit me with a flower! This starts very delicately with an incredibly subtle nose of fresh and dried flowers. Then comes the enormously concentrated yet totally filigree palate, which dazzles the senses with its thousand nuances and almost endless, super-silky finish. Decades of aging potential. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold."
97 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"The 2020 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese is magic. Pure, refined and aristocratic on the flinty, slate-dominated and slightly herbal nose that is populated by crushed stones and tiny mint leaves, while the bright fruit is perfectly interwoven with terroir-driven flavors. Racy, juicy-piquant and intense on the palate, this is a noble, highly elegant and complex Hermannshöhle with a long, intense and complex yet again very refined and floating finish. A genius of a Spätlese where everything is perfectly interwoven to an unspeakable beauty. "What is it that is so beautiful? That is the magic!," says Helmuth Dönnhoff, describing his philosophy of beauty. 8.5% alcohol. Tasted at the domain in July 2021."
Jancis Robinson
"Having tasted the best of dry and sweet from the Hermannshöhle its unique distinction among the magnificent different sites cultivated by the Dönnhoffs seems to be its ability to match complexity and elegance with great richness of flavour. Without having to resort to exotic or tropical notes its generosity of fruit soothes rather than taxes the palate, but is still gifted with exhilarating freshness driven by vibrant acidity. The sensory pleasure is further enhanced by a subtle sprinkling of minerality. Some Dönnhoff wines may grab you, this one embraces you. 19/20 points. (MS)"
Vinous Reverie Notes
Niederhauser Hermannshöhle
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. It takes its name from a small mine, or “Höhle”, in the middle of the hillside. “Hermann” is derived from Hermes, the Roman god of messengers and travelers, and the name likely hints at an ancient place of worship once located here. This site faces due south and lies 130 –175 m above sea level. Its soils are primarily blackish gray slate mixed with extrusive igneous rock, porphyry and limestone. For generations, this marvelous site has shaped our expectations for what fine wines from the Nahe can achieve. A perfect, steep southern slope with soils consisting of blackish grey slate and volcanic elements, extremely rich in minerals. The stuff of legends, for over 100 years this has been the most lauded site in the entire Nahe wine growing region.
