2024 Donnhoff - Riesling Estate Qba (750ml)
Dönnhoff is Nahe royalty, a family estate in the region since the 1700s and now run by Cornelius Dönnhoff. The Estate Riesling is their calling card: basically a village wine from the volcanic porphyry and melaphyr soils around the Oberhäuser Felsenberg and Kieselberg, with a bit of slate in the mix.
This is the off-dry bottling. It's the same wine as the Estate trocken, just with fermentation stopped early to leave a touch of sweetness at a featherweight 10% alcohol. Fermented in stainless steel and old 1200-liter German casks, from organically grown, Fair'n Green certified fruit.
Bright yellow peach, apricot and citrus up front, a flinty, crushed-rock edge, and just enough sweetness to make the fruit pop without ever feeling heavy. Lively, pure and dangerously easy to drink. Great as an aperitif, or with spicy Thai, pork schnitzel, smoked trout or a cheese board.