Two German legends: the 2019s from Stodden and Dönnhoff

An auction wine, this is a wine that’s all about subtlety and poise. Velvet tannins grow on the palate, while notes of herbs and small berry fruit dance around the mouth. The finish is mineral, detailed, and lasts an age. A true Grand Cru: one of Germany’s greatest Pinot Noirs, made is miniscule quantities.

From the oldest vines of the estate, this is an astonishing Pinot Noir, that’s up there with the very best that Burgundy has to offer. Wonderful detail and complexity, and then a finish that lasts for minutes. This is a must have for any Pinot Noir lover.

The Dellchen are the hollows that sit between cliffs that lift up from the Nahe, and this south-facing vineyard creates a wine that has astonishing intensity and complexity, with notes of ginger and more exotic spices. It benefits from an incredibly long hang time on the vines, and the resulting wine is brilliant.

Named after the “Felsentürmchen”, or small stone tower, that sits in the middle of the vineyard here, the weathered volcanic porphyry soil warms up quickly in this south-facing slope, and there’s ripe citrus and greengage fruit galore. It sits in the shadow of the Dellchen and Hermannshöhle, but is not to be missed in 2019.

The Dellchen are the hollows that sit between cliffs that lift up from the Nahe, and this south-facing vineyard creates a wine that has astonishing intensity and complexity, with notes of ginger and more exotic spices. It benefits from an incredibly long hang time on the vines, and the resulting wine is brilliant.

Arguably Dönnhoff’s greatest vineyard, and, indeed, the greatest vineyard of the whole of the Nahe. Here, the vines are up to 65 years old, and face due south. The resulting wine in 2019 is a tour de force, with incredible power and unbelievable freshness. This is a true Grand Cru of Germany. Astonishing.