TN: Donnhoff, Hexamer, Emrich-Schonleber...7 wines in total.

My second German wine tasting this week, still have to write up last Wednesdays affair with crab dinner par excellence.
Last night DeVines downtown put on their Top Drops: German Rieslings of the Nahe. From a selection of recent purchases after owners visited the region.

The Dry Wines

1) 2010 Hexamer Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling QbA Trocken #1.

Small berries selection, nectarine on nose, yellow concentrated stone-fruit. Orange persists, medium plus finish. $42 Cdn, my style of trocken.

2) 2010 Hexamer Schlossbockelheimer In den Felsen Riesling QbA.

Volcanic rocky soil, nose was tad closed I thought. Very good acidity with food offered. Floral after a while, think sweeter than #1. $39, this is going places.

3) 2008 Emrich-Schlonleber Monzinger Halenberg 'R' Riesling.

Fermented in oak, wild yeast. Shorter finish than above, great with the pork spatzel. Citrus, buttery, tangerine. Creamy texture to finish, zingy, harmonious, $62.

4) 2010 Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle GG Trocken Riesling.

WOTN for many. Very herbal spicy nose, mineral, ripe in mid-palate, loaded with mineral and stones. Very approachable now, Bravo! $99.

The Sweet Wines.

5) 2010 Hexamer Schlossbockelheim In den Felsen Riesling Spatlese..

SC. $40, citrus nose/sweet herbs, ripe apple, tasty, rich, some thought delicate and exotic. Interesting texture on the palate, underlying acidity under the sweetness. "Liquid sunshine".

6) 2010 Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke R Spat.

Small vineyard, pineapple, mineral, peach, ripe, rocks. Shows some gasolein, peach on palate, length good, nice acidity kicks in. $77.

7) 2006 Emrich-Schonleber Monzinger Halenberg R Aus **.

More yellow color, mandarin, honey, nectarine less so. Would like to try as it developes and sweetness subsides. Amazing wine though, $70. AP 7 748 066 1807.

Gasp!!

Hi Bob -

Thank you for the great writeup. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed these wines!

Pretty brief notes but only a small pour. I have another German wine dinner to write up as soon as I can.

You are lucky to get such a good selection of trocken wines. Are they all on sale in Edmonton? That's much better than here. I only know one merchant in the French speaking region who has a reasonable selection of German wine, including Egon Müller, von Schubert and Bürklin-Wolf, but not all trocken; there is a somewhat better selection in the Flemish region, I think. This may seem odd considering how close we are to Germany ; too close in 1914 and 1940 .

[David M. Bueker]

Some of those prices are beyond frightening. $99 for the Donnhoff Hermannshohle GG is especially astonishing given the mid-$50s pricing in the US. Tough to be a wine lover in Edmonton.