WTN: 2002 Hermann Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese Nahe Germany. $49.99, Wine Ventures, Tenafly. 8.5% alcohol. Imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY, a Terry Thiese Selection. AP:77530101103.
Light gold color, clear hue, an essence of fruit aroma and taste, haunting somehow, but thrilling, complex medley of fruits, sweet herbs, nuts, spices, forest floor, mineral notes; medium mouth feel, long complex finish, with all of those notes and more in subtle and pure impressions. A lovely wine -- Spätlese is so much fun to taste at different ages -- we buy a case at a time with the idea of spending ten years or so finishing it off. 4*+.
Oh, about the Gaja. I had planned a fairly complicated Italian dish with chicken, fresh tomatoes, zucchini, more -- recipe to follow on another occasion. Last night, I did my prep, opened a 1998 Gaja Barbaresco, and smelled the most god awful cardboard aroma possible. Put my mind totally off of Italian food it did. :-(
So, I roasted my vegetables, setting the tomatoes aside for lunch today, grilled the chicken, made a simple salad -- and opened the ever reliable Dönnhoff -- we have never had a bottle of Dönnhoff that didn't please us in one way or another. Our dinner was close to perfection.
Regards, Bob