2019 Dönnhoff: intense and vibrant

1 Oct 2020

Terroir minerality; piquant fruit

Let's put a bit of context to 2019 in Germany with a quote from Michael Schmidt on jancisrobinson.com. 'To sum up the prospects of the 2019 vintage in a nutshell, it could become the vintage of the century. No, honestly!' So now that is out of the way we can concentrate on our favourite white wine grower in the country. Despite their location in the less fashionable Nahe valley, the Dönnhoff family are still one of Germany's pre-eminent producers. Like the run of great years Germany has enjoyed recently, they consistently make tremendously exciting wines: full of nerve and tension and substance, and balance. In 2019 there is no let up. This may be the most goosebump-making set of wines since their 2016s.

At every level and in every style the 2019s overperform but the overriding impression is that balance. Everything in the release is so full of drive and energy, but there is masses of fruit. These wines have their feet firmly on the ground with density and presence and their heads in the clouds with precision and otherworldliness.

The season wasn't perfect of course, with the biggest problem being outbreaks of sunburn in the summer, which did require detailed sorting at harvest. But cool nights thoughout and refreshing August rains brought the parched grapes to perfect ripeness. They had a team go through the vineyard to sort on the vines, then the pickers followed and what they gathered was further sorted at the cellar. Dry and sweet styles benefit from a punchy, rich acidity that supports the fruit and terroir expressions. These are absolute must-haves for the cellar. /CW

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