Alinea: Oenophilia

Riesling: The Dönnhoff family has been making wine in the Nahe since 1750. Now under the leadership of Helmut, this venerable estate quite possibly produces the greatest Rieslings in all of Germany. Their 20 hectares of vineyard holdings include some of the finest sites in the Rhineland; they produce a miniscule 150,000 bottles a year. These are some of the most coveted and collectible wines in Germany.

Dönnhoff Rieslings pretty much always stop me in my tracks, they are so much fun to taste and savor. This one wallops you up front with its floral perfume, which gives way to sweet orange and apricot notes and waves of minerality. The texture is ripe and slippery, on the palate the wine starts out dominated by sweet pear flavors, but gradually the acid firms up and green apple and apricot appear with hints of sweet green herbs. The finish leans toward nectarine with some candied grapefruit peel. Delicious.