2020 Donnhoff Riesling Trocken

2020 Dönnhoff Riesling Trocken, Nahe

Producer Background
Weingut Dönnhoff is a premier Riesling producer in Germany’s Nahe region, long admired for producing terroir‑expressive, precision‑driven wines. The estate spans a range of soil types (slate, volcanic, quartzite etc.) and vineyard exposures, and the team emphasizes sustainable vineyard practices, hand‑harvest, and low intervention in the cellar to let the site shine.

Vintage & Terroir
The 2020 vintage brought warm conditions in many of Germany’s wine regions, including Nahe. For this Riesling Trocken, fruit is drawn from lighter, stonier soils (e.g. volcanic, slate, weathered rock) in vineyards such as Oberhäuser Felsenberg, Kieselberg, among others. These soils tend to yield wines with mineral depth, energy, and tension.

Style & Winemaking
Harvested by hand, fermentation is carried out with native yeasts, often in a mix of stainless steel and large neutral vessels to preserve purity and freshness. The wine is bottled “trocken” (dry), with crisp acidity, restrained sweetness (if any), and emphasis on mineral structure.

Tasting Notes

• Aromas: citrus (lemon, lime zest), green apple, white peach, a clean stony/mineral signature. Some floral notes and subtle herbal hints may appear.

• Palate: medium‑bodied and sleek; vibrant acidity drives a refreshing backbone. Fruit flavors are crisp and clean—lemon, orchard fruit, perhaps hints of stone fruit—balanced by minerality and a subtle salty or flinty edge.

• Texture & Finish: very linear and elegant, with fine phenolic grip. The finish is long, mineral‑driven, with a dry, stony aftertaste and bright acidity that lingers.

Strengths & Drinking Window
The 2020 Dönnhoff Riesling Trocken is notable for combining freshness, minerality, and clarity. It is already approachable, but also has enough structure and acidity to benefit from short to mid‑term cellaring (3‑5 years or so). Proper storage will help it develop more nuance in the tertiary notes (e.g. stone, saline, subtle herbal/earth tones).