If there is a holy grail in bone-dry Riesling, it begins and ends with the legendary Dönnhoff family, the undisputed kings of the Nahe—pronounced NAH-heh. Before Helmut Dönnhoff took the reins, this tranquil valley was a viticultural backwater where grapes were quietly blended away. Helmut single-handedly put the region on the global map, and today, his son Cornelius continues this absolute masterclass in craftsmanship. It’s an essential, highly-coveted bottle for the cellar.

That genius is on full display in the wildly dramatic terroir of the Roxheimer Höllenpfad, which translates to the "Path to Hell." The name historically drew weary curses from growers working its brutal, steep slopes. However, it's hard to believe a "path to hell" could ever taste this heavenly. Rooted in unique, warm Rotliegend red sandstone laced with veins of limestone, the sun-drenched site yields tiny, highly concentrated grapes of incredible mineral tension.

To preserve this laser-like focus, the vines are dry-farmed and meticulously hand-harvested. In the cellar, Cornelius naturally ferments the fruit in a pristine mix of stainless steel and seasoned, 10+-year-old 1,200L German Stückfass oak casks. The result is a bone-dry masterpiece exploding with smoky-spicy stone fruit and a towering 99-Point score from critic Stuart Pigott of JamesSuckling.com. This is a monumental, age-worthy Riesling built for the true fanatic.

Zum Wohl!

Critical Acclaim:

99 Points, James Suckling:

"Who can resist this beauty? The explosive nose of yellow peaches and wild blackberries sucks you inexorably into this extremely concentrated, but also incredibly refined and precise dry riesling. A great masterpiece of delicacy and purity, with a finish that doesn™t want to stop pumping out the wet stone minerality. A de facto monopole site for this producer. Drink from release."

94-96 Points, Vinous Media:

"The 2023 Riesling Roxheimer Höllenpfad im Mühlberg Grosses Gewächs comes from the core parcel of this red Permian sandstone site, made separately as a GG from 2017 onwards. This was made in old, neutral Doppelstück. Gorgeous savor unites fern, yarrow and tansy, all tingling amidst citrus and a gentle creaminess. Immediate concentration and fluidity characterize the palate, and the citrus impression almost attains a touch of lemon oil, still holding these savory, herbal notions. The 2023 has a sinuous shape, great fluidity, beautiful stoniness and tautness, absolute clarity and direction but with a ton of charm. (Bone-dry)"