The Upper River Nahe meanders past steep slopes and precipitous vineyards, and on these slopes, between the villages of Oberhausen and Bad Kreuznach, the Dönnhoffs cultivate vines. They haven`t chosen such difficult to work sites for fun (Höllenpfad, after all, means "path to hell") but rather because the slopes offer a combination of exposure and geologically diverse, complex soils which translate into complexity in the fruit and so, eventually, the wine. It works; in fact, they`ve been making wine here since the 1750s. They are now regarded as not only the Nahe’s finest producer, but clearly among Germany’s very greatest.

In the 1950s and 60s few producers wanted the bother of working steep and difficult sites, even though history had proven these were also the sites that could make the greatest wines – so the Dönnhoffs were able to acquire their portfolio of great sites very reasonably. Helmut Dönnhoff took over in 1971, and notes, ‘Extraordinary wines are based on extraordinary vineyards. I‘m fortunate to have had the opportunity to acquire several world-class sites.’ He also embraced the Grosses Gewachs (great growths) system for top dry wines made with ripe fruit, alongside the more traditional sweet styles. He has been succeeded by his son Cornelius; almost immediately after taking over, Cornelius was named German winemaker of the year.

With vineyards on both sides of the Nahe having quite different aspects and microclimates, the Dönnhoffs are able to produce dazzling wines in a variety of styles. The gentle slopes and deep soils of the Kahlenberg vineyard do well with dry styles. Sheltered sites lend themselves to sweeter styles. The slate-soil, south-eastern facing Leistenberg vineyard basks in the morning sun, and with less afternoon exposure is ideal for Kabinett; just across the river, the small Brucke vineyard can produce exquisite Spatlese. Two bends of the river away, the Norheimer vineyards are the oldest recorded on the Nahe. Wild cherries grow among the vines here and are said to mark the character of the wine. The Grosses Gewachs are the most complex, age-worthy dry wines from the very best sites. (NT 03/04/24)

To read a short interview with Helmut Donnhoff click here.