Let's talk Riesling from the Nahe region.

[James_Wright]

…btw, the Weinanbaugebiet Nahe is likely the only good to come of Germany’s 1971 Wine Law

[Robert_Dentice]

The Nahe is fairly easy to learn. You really only need to know three producers Emrich-Schonleber, Schafer-Frohlich and Donnhoff. And maybe Schlossgut Diel.

The wines are riper than the Mosel with a slightly different fruit profile.

I love the Nahe.

I love the Nahe as well and those three producers but if you leave Harald Hexamer off the list it’s definitely the OP’s loss.

What would you suggest is a good introduction to Hexamer? I know I have tried them in the past at the Skurnik tastings but don’t really recall anything standing out.

[G_Curd]

Thanks again to everyone for your guidance. I can’t wait to receive some of these wines and start my tasting journey of the Nahe region! I will definitely share my tasting notes as soon as some arrive and I get to tasting.

[James_Wright]

perhaps worth mentioning that the Nahe is a concentrated kaleidoscope of German viticulture
thanks to the diversity of the region’s soils –
vineyards grow in slate only a couple hundred metres distant from other sites growing in volcanic soils –

…and of course one considers the temperaments of the individual growers, many of whom are very fine indeed

[Robert_Dentice]

perhaps worth mentioning that the Nahe is a concentrated kaleidoscope of German viticulture
thanks to the diversity of the region’s soils –
vineyards grow in slate only a couple hundred metres distant from other sites growing in volcanic soils –

…and of course one considers the temperaments of the individual growers, many of whom are very fine indeed

I think that is one of the big reasons why the wines are so unique.

[Keith_Levenberg]

I have had knockout bottles from Gut Hermannsberg for sure. Many fond memories guzzling Hexamer Quarzit too.

Jakob Schneider is another fine producer not mentioned yet whose sweet wines aren’t far off Donnhoff’s and whose drier wines are better IMO.

[Howard_Cooper]

For me, two of the three producers constituting the Holy Trinity of Dry Riesling are in the Nahe - Emrich-Schonleber and Schafer-Frohlich. Though I agree that the wines tend to be riper than the Mosel, that’s not at all to imply they are flabby. There is plenty of acidity and backbone, as well as power I personally rarely find in the MSR. I believe these two producers (Donnhoff, too, if I’m speaking objectively, though they are not so much to my taste) make truly excellent wine at all price points, and their top wines are up there with the best white wines in the world, of any variety.

I agree the wines are definitely not too ripe (that would be the Pfalz : ) ) and they definitely have enough acid for me.

Not quite a perfect comparison, but I think of the Nahe as having more the fruit of a wine from the Rhine (although not quite) and more the acid of a wine from the Mosel (although not quite as much acidity).

[Howard_Cooper]

The Nahe is fairly easy to learn. You really only need to know three producers Emrich-Schonleber, Schafer-Frohlich and Donnhoff. And maybe Schlossgut Diel.

The wines are riper than the Mosel with a slightly different fruit profile.

I love the Nahe.

I love the Nahe as well and those three producers but if you leave Harald Hexamer off the list it’s definitely the OP’s loss.

What would you suggest is a good introduction to Hexamer? I know I have tried them in the past at the Skurnik tastings but don’t really recall anything standing out.

An excellent value wine is Hexamer’s Quarzit

[David_Bu3ker]

Hexamer is excellent value. The pradikat wines tend to be pretty sweet, but also vibrant.

Kruger-Rumpf deserves way more attention, and not just for Riesling. Their Scheurebe is excellent.

[Dav3_Dyr0ff]

Thanks to all the contributors above - this is a most informative thread!

[Noah_C]

One small Nahe producer that I have enjoyed is Paul Anheuser, featured on SommSelect a few times. I had a 1971 Auslese of theirs 2 years ago that was phenomenal. The way these German Rieslings can age is remarkable, and this held its own with the best of them.

[Todd_Tucker]

I think there have been very many good ideas above. I also agree that compared to the Mosel that the Nahe can make better dry wines. Also on the difference fruit profile, I like Broadbent’s descriptor of “Nahe fruit salad” in contrast to the Middle Mosel blue slate driven (or in Urzig area red slate driven flavors). I do think that simplifies things some, but it is a good start.

One thing I would say about the terroir in the Nahe is that it is highly variable compared to the likes of a comparatively more homogenous Middle Mosel. For instance: S. Kupfergrube tastes very different than N. Hermannshohle and O. Brucke all of which are within a well hit 3 wood apart. There is a lot of tectonic upheaval in the Nahe and so you can get hugely variable soil compositions in close proximity. The Rotenfels cliff just northeast of Niederhausen on the Nahe has nearly vertical stratification layers (I’m probably killing geological terms so forgive me)

There are a wide range of goodness in the Nahe, but if I had to distill my best of to a very short list, here goes:

My favorite terroir- producer combinations in the Nahe are:
N. Hermannshohle. Great piece of dirt and brilliant winemaking by Donnhoff
Bockenauer Felseneck handled masterfully by Tim Frohlich
these two vineyards also impress where they can make tremendous wines from dry to fruity to botyrized wines.

Schlossboeckelheimer Kupfergrube
Monzinger Halenberg by Emrich Schoenleber

I think Oberhauser Brucke can do great dessert wines esp Eiswein, but I still am enamored with Hermannshoehle.

I also would chip in where James out of decorum would not promote a producer with whom he works. Gut Hermannsberg is carrying the torch well.

Enjoy the learning!

[Jayson_Cohen]

Donnhoff’s Kupfergrube was among my favorite Nahe wines before they swapped it. I do have a soft spot for Felsenberg (Turmchen).

I’d also be impressed by a three-wood shot from “downtown” Nierderhausen around the bend into Kupfergrube. My recollection is you’d have to be Tiger Woods and slice it pretty heavily around the West to North dogleg, as the ball flies, of the hilllside.

[James_Wright]

I also would chip in where James out of decorum would not promote a producer with whom he works. Gut Hermannsberg is carrying the torch well.

i am no longer working with them – relationships are fluid, and my involvement was through agencies, never with my name on it…

not out of bounds for me to say that the owners since 2009 – Dr Christine Dinse and her significant other Jens Reidel –
have spared no expense and missed no attention to detail in making improvements

the excellent cellarmaster Karsten Peter has been on board from the gitgo,
several years ago already chosen Winzer des Jahres by one of Germany’s two national newspapers, FAZ

[James_Wright]

one of the most remarkable vineyards in the Nahe
– indeed, in all of Germany –
is the Traiser Bastei

look it up!

[David_Bu3ker]

Availability of Gut Hermannsberg is quite spotty. It’s too bad, as the wines are excellent.

[Greg_K]

Donnhoff’s Kupfergrube was among my favorite Nahe wines before they swapped it. I do have a soft spot for Felsenberg (Turmchen).

I’d also be impressed by a three-wood shot from “downtown” Nierderhausen around the bend into Kupfergrube. My recollection is you’d have to be Tiger Woods and slice it pretty heavily around the West to North dogleg, as the ball flies, of the hilllside.

I’ve had the 2013 Schaefer-Frohlich Kupfergrube twice in the last month and it’s a joyous wine - delicious and open.

[James_Wright]

^
fond memories of falling flat on my fat francis
whilst tromping through the Kupfergrube with Helmut Dönnhoff…


(damn typo…)

[G_Curd]

Great stuff everyone. I couldn’t imagine when I started this topic that I would get so much information. It’s great to pic the brains of all of the experts on these forums. Truly awesome information! Thanks again everyone.

[Howard_Cooper]

one of the most remarkable vineyards in the Nahe
– indeed, in all of Germany –
is the Traiser Bastei

look it up!

I had some 1989 Traiser Bastei from Staatsdomaine that was wonderful. Have not any from any other producer. What producer do you recommend?