WTN: 2011 Donnhoff Estate Riesling

[David M. Bueker]

2011 Dönnhoff Riesling - Germany, Nahe (4/12/2015)
This shows much more elegance and delineation than most 2011 German Rieslings. It is dominated by crisp tree fruit and saline minerality. There is no reduction or anything else to obscure the clear vision of Riesling that is the estate bottling. Year after year this wine punches well above its weight, and makes for delicious and interesting drinking. Historically this bottling ages well, and I see now reason to doubt the 2011 will do well into the next decade.

Speaking as someone who recoils from spending $20 or more on a bottle of wine, this is a worthy exception to the rule. I didn't really know what Riesling could be before Donnhoff. Which isn't to say I buy it all the time. But when an occasion comes along (or I invent one) I suspend my frugal ways and put a Donnhoff in the basket.

[David M. Bueker]

Case discount still keeps this wine at $18.

this was a regular buy for me vintages '01-08 but for some reason I never seem to get offers these days, always ending up with the Oberhauser Leistenberg Kab instead. Which isn't really painful.
But I should actively look for the QbA.

[David M. Bueker]

Interesting, as I keep skipping the Leistenberg (last purchased in '09). I find the Estate to be more of a feinherb/halbtrocken in style, and so it is more immediately useful. I have to put the Leistenberg in the cellar for a decade before it gets where I want it to be. On release it's often a baby auslese.

Oh, they're totally different wines, just meant it's the lowest priced Donnhoff I regularly have access to these days.
I'm sure I could search for it, it's just I've been narrowing my retailers down overall.
Sometimes I do get the QbA trocken.
Looks like I should be my 02 Leistenbergs though.

[David M. Bueker]

If you have 2002 Leistenberg then it is a very good time to check in on them. 2002 in general is drinking pretty well. 2004 also.