Fresh from a trip to Germany, David Schildknecht of the Wine Advocate recently noted: "Apropos 2006, I don't think word has really gotten out in sufficient detail and with appropriate perspective as to the qualitative nature of this remarkable year... the list of distinguished Nahe and Middle Mosel growers who consider their 2006 collections the best of their lifetime's alone demonstrates that this is a remarkable vintage with many truly mind-boggling wines."
These comments square exactly with the impressions that Joe and I had, when first tasting Helmut Donnhoff's 2006 line-up this Spring. Almost across the board Donnhoff's 2006s reveal pure, amazingly concentrated fruit with a fighter-jet sleekness that is simply thrilling.
Special "pre-arrival" pricing on the entire 2006 lineup expires September 1!
You may have heard that the 2006 harvest in Germany was not easy. However, a few select vineyards sites were spared and were even blessed with as good, if not better, raw material than in 2005.
This was especially true in the Nahe where the weather gods provided Donnhoff (and Schafer-Frohlich, among others) fruit of incredible quality, though not in extreme quantity. In fact, the Donnhoff crew picked with 40 growers instead of the usual 15 to get as many amazing grapes as possible before rot set in.
The importer Terry Thiese notes that Donnhoff's 2006s "are existentially different from the rest of the vintage and thus perhaps even more astonishing than his gorgeous '05s ... [they weren't] just 'better' than other growers' vintages; it was of another order of being."
Even in prolific years Donnhoff's bottlings are allocated; this year the supply is downright miniscule, (40% of the usual amount of wine was made and more and more people have caught on to Helmut's majesty).
As a thank you for your generous support of all of our Rieslings, we're happy to offer all the wines at the lowest prices in the nation.
Despite a generous allocation, it is clear that we will simply not have enough wine to fill orders from all interested parties.
To secure your bottles, please respond to this email or call the store at (212) 980-9463 immediately.
Thanks again for your support - remember, special "pre-arrival" pricing ends September 1.
Stephen Bitterolf
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyers
Crush Wine & Spirits
2006 Donnhoffs
All wines Net / No Further Discount, wines arrive Oct. 2007
Offer Expires September 1st, 2007
QbA
Estate Riesling (750ml): $17.77
Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg
Generally, the most elegant, finessed and understated of Donhoff's wines.
Spatlese (750ml): $41.07
Spatlese Magnum (1.5L): $92.31
"Turmchen" Spatlese (750ml)
(A small subplot of the vineyard once used only for special cuvees): $43.33
Auslese (375ml): $36.83
Auslese Magnum (1.5L): $170.80
Oberhauser Brucke
Always the biggest and richest of his holdings.
Spatlese (750ml): $50.27
Spatlese Magnum (1.5L): $114.70
Niederhauser Hermannshohle
Hallowed ground ... one of the best sites in the Nahe if not all of Germany. Please note: Bottlings from this vineyard are severely allocated and preference will be given to customers who support the other Donnhoff bottlings as well.
Grosses Gewachs (Dry) (750ml): $57.27
Auslese (375ml): $50.50
Auslese Magnum (1.5L): $224.32
BA (375ml): $136.50
BA Magnum (1.5L): $554.79