Dönnhoff Felsenberg Riesling Trocken Grosses Gewächs 2023

Dönnhoff Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Trocken Grosses Gewächs, Nahe, Germany, 2023

Grape: 100% Riesling, single vineyard "Grosses Gewachs" site (V.D.P "Grand Cru"), 25-50 year old vines, hand harvested, 40hl/ha yield, 8 months' ageing on lees, aged in large oak barrels

Producer Tasting Note:

A great dry Riesling, very complex, with deep, smoky, crystalline minerality characterized by flint - unmistakably Felsenberg. The smokiness combines here with roasted sesame, citrus fruit and a little Williams pear. The best steep plots (up to 60 degrees) are situated around the famous rock tower (Felsentürmchen) in the middle of the magnificent vineyard of the Schloßböckelheimer Felsenberg. Excellent Riesling terroir with a soil made of red volcanic rock.

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"The 2023 Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling trocken GG is beautifully pure, clear and bright or even coolish on the deep and complex nose that is still remarkably discreet but refined for this warm, volcanic terroir and offers elegant notes of melting stones and domestic seed fruits. Round, refined and elegant on the palate, this is a generous, juicy and fruity Riesling with fine tannins and a long, intense, spicy and aromatic, finely saline and mineral finish. This is a mouth-filling, complex and textured Riesling with crunchy tannins on the finish. It's a superb 2023 that should develop beautifully over the years in the bottle. 12.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork." Drink 2025-2050

95/100 points, Stephan Reinhardt, WINE ADVOCATE, October 2024

"The 2023 Riesling Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Felsentürmchen Grosses Gewächs is picked in the fully south-facing site of porphyry and melaphyr. Cornelius Dönnhoff says this is the most challenging site to work, simply because the stones are so hard and unforgiving, retaining almost no water. Thus, a year like 2023 was brilliant for this site. It is always the first GG site to be harvested because the rock retains heat from the day. Tender reduction still casts a flinty spell on the nose. Lovely savor implies crushed citrus foliage merged into iron oxide on the nose. The palate is taut, citric, bright with immense linearity, moving with absolute ease and direxction, with energy and punch, towards a zesty, cool finish, long, sustained, all with savor and saltiness. The 2023 is a total joy of clarity, direction and stony poise. This is so elegant, so slender, so powerful, and no, this is not a contradiction. (Bone-dry)" Drink 2034-2070

(96-98/100) points, Anne Krebiehl, VINOUS, October 2024

"Radically smoky and massively structured in spite of being only medium-bodied, this astonishingly dry riesling expresses the personality of this volcanic site with great authority and precision. So much spice, structure and hardness in the positive sense, meaning that this is not a wine for the faint of heart. Massive power in the imposing finish, yet absolutely clean and bright. Drink or hold."

98/100 points, James Suckling, 2024