05 Dec 2023

Earlier this autumn we offered you some of the superb 2021 vintage wines from Helmut Dönnhoff, widely regarded as one of Germany's greatest winemakers.  We have now managed to secure a small allocation from the 2022 vintage, with yet more excellent scores for Dönnhoff!

As we experienced in Burgundy, 2022 was a hot year, but the wines are mysteriously (and delightfully) cool and light in style.  Various reasons have been suggested, including the vines 'shutting down' in response to the heat, staying green when the grass and other vegetation all around them was yellow. 

At the same time, the grapes developed notably thick skins.  When heavy rains arrived in September, it could have damaged the crop, but the skins protected the grapes, allowing the rains to rehydrate them just in time for harvest.  The resulting wines have a mineral tension and salinity which is wonderful to experience.

As we noted when we offered the 2021s; despite the sky-high reputation of these wines in the trade, you do not need to be a German wine aficionado to appreciate their brilliance.  Considering their unique origins and the stature of the winemaker, these are also superb value and we hope this offer will introduce some new people to Weingut Dönnhoff.  

The wines are highly sought-after and are offered subject to remaining unsold, so please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to order.

Update 06.12.24:  Most wines have sold out after 24 hours of releasing our offer, but please enquire and we will confirm any remaining available stocks!

Offered in bond, immediately available.  

Producer Profile

Weingutt Dönnhoff

The Dönnhoff family arrived in the Nahe region 250 years ago, establishing a farm in the village of Oberhäusen an der Nahe, with livestock and vegetable gardens in addition to grape growing.  The River Nahe va flows parallel to the Moselle, to its south, into the River Rhine, and is famed for its complex, volcanic soils. 

The estate was started by Helmut Dönnhoff’s grandfather, Hermann, in the 1920s.  Helmut took over from his father, Hermann Jr. in 1966; at that time there were only four hectares under vine and still quite a bit of farmland, which was rented out. In 1971, the farmland was sold and Helmut turned his full attention to producing quality wine.

Helmut is an instinctive winemaker, believing in craft and workmanship, with the understanding that “winemaking alone cannot bring quality; it can only retain the available quality.”  Winemaking is very simple and, effectively, the wines are made in the vineyard, with the Kabinetts and Spätleses showing amazing intensity of flavour.  Helmut has embraced the growing importance of 'GG' (Grosses Gewachs) wines, from single-vineyard sites, made in a dry style.  The GG style came to prominence in the early 2000s and represented quite a departure for many traditional growers, who were accustomed to dedicating the fruit from their top vineyard sites to sweeter, late-harvest wines.