WTN: 1997 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Auslese

[David M. Bueker]

• 1997 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel - Germany, Nahe (11/5/2021)
  Purchased on release back in 1998, and cold cellared since then, this bottle was the perfect example of why I cellar wine. Still incredibly fresh, but with nuanced complexity from bottle age, it was simultaneously refreshing and intellectually engaging. The classic Nahe peach and cherry fruit was still fully present, accented with fruit crisp topping aromas, warm hay, fresh fallen leaves, and an integrated backbone of acidity that held each element in its place. In the modern idiom it was barely full Spätlese sweet, maybe not even that, and so it was very easy to drink, making the 375ml bottle not even close to enough. I'm not sure a magnum would have been enough. Well cared for bottles still have a long road ahead of them. I have one more, and will find the right moment - sooner or later.