2022 Donnhoff Hermannshohle Spatlese

"This starts very quietly and gently with a wafting cloud of floral aromas, but then your gaze is pulled into the base of this Gothic cathedral window, pulling you ever further upward until you are staring at the heavens. Supernatural energy and vitality, the wet stone character cascading over your palate at the super-long finish. Doesn’t want to stop! From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold."

"From shale, the 2022 Riesling Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Spätlese is subtle on the nose. The merest flicker of reduction precedes distant perfumes of ripe pear, stone fruit and lifted, serene citrus peel in the green-to-yellow spectrum. The palate holds rounded sweetness, seemingly edged by tealeaf, stoniness and lime peel. The citrus takes over, providing serene and profound aromatics, lasting, elegant and pure. Despite the sugar, sweetness almost stops registering in these alluring flavors that push freshness much more than sweetness. The 2022 is a sleeper, slow and profound, but with proper mileage. (Sweet)." Drink 2028 - 2050

"The late vintage is harvested from the fringes of the Hermann's Cave that stretches around the Nahe River. Comes from the more eastern, or western exposed parts. Which have higher acidity and more play that it needs for residual sweetness. In 2022 there was some botrytis on the Nahe, so accordingly there is a fine selection in here. But of course, only the crystal clear, selective Auslese. The Hermannshöhle is more profound, classic Spätlese, less detached fine than the Brücke, it pushes much more. Even if the bridge in 2022 also has a lot of density from its botrytis, the Hermannshöhle comes with more power from within. It is also less tropical, staying more in European yellow fruit, in peach, in August apple, in highly ripe mirabelle. Intense yellow fruit, peach, overripe grapefruit, pineapple, summer apple. But it has such a wonderful savory, extract-driven sweet run with fabulous acidity and mineral freshness. This is a "Spätlese-Plus." This is a Spätlese that lacks the final prancing of the bridge, but runs even straighter, pushes even harder, and resonates endlessly. Both wines will last for decades. At the very end, after 30 years, the Hermannshöhle may be the winner because it is more intense, punchy and rich. I like drinking the bridge better."