2017 Donnhoff Spatlese Nieder Hermannshohle

The 2017 Hermannshöhle Spätlese from the Dönnhoffs is also excellent this year, but it was a bit more reserved in personality at the time of my tasting and perhaps does not have quite the same precision as the Brücke this year? The bouquet offers up a superb, youthful mix of apple, a touch of blood orange, salty minerality, bee pollen and a nice touch of wild yeasts up high. On the palate the wine is focused, medium-full and racy, with a fine core, excellent focus and grip and a long, youthful and still quite primary finish. Perhaps this has just started to close down a bit from its recent bottling and will end up every bit as fine as the Brücke Spätlese in the fullness of time, but right now, I have to give a very slight edge to the above wine. That said, this is hardly disappointing, as it has enormous potential! Drink 2022-2060. 94+ points

Cask sample. 2016 produced an Auslese from this site, but here the winemaker (Cornelius?) demonstrates that he is not interested in consistency of style, but definition of the vintage. So 2017 was not a vintage of opulence for the Hermannshöhle, but exhilarating freshness, filigree fruit and almost razor-sharp acidity. A wonderful spritz of zesty orange on the finish reaches the part of the palate other Spätlesen can’t get to. 17.5 points