Dönnhoff Tonschiefer Riesling Trocken 2025

Weingut Dönnhoff is one of the benchmark estates of Germany’s Nahe, based in Oberhausen and run today by Cornelius Dönnhoff, who works alongside his father Helmut. The family has cultivated vines in the region for more than 250 years, and Helmut was central to establishing Dönnhoff’s modern reputation for exceptionally precise, mineral-driven riesling. The estate farms a wide range of steep sites around Oberhausen, Niederhausen, Norheim and Schlossböckelheim, with a strong emphasis on selective hand harvesting and expressing the Nahe’s remarkably varied geology.

Tonschiefer 2025 is 100% riesling from vines roughly 25 to 45 years old, grown primarily in the upper sections of Oberhäuser Leistenberg. The steep vineyard is dominated by dark clay slate, also called carboniferous slate, which absorbs heat while giving the wines a distinctly fine, mineral profile. Grapes are selectively harvested by hand, then fermented and raised in a combination of stainless steel and large traditional oak casks. The élevage is neutral and textural rather than oak-driven, preserving the wine’s clarity and tension.

The 2025 is dry, precise and energetic, with green apple, white peach and citrus zest alongside a cool stony note. The palate is taut but not severe, with vivid acidity, fine texture and a distinctly saline mineral finish. It is more focused and site-driven than the estate’s basic trocken, but still very approachable in its youth.