James Suckling 95 Punkte: Much more youthful than Schneider’s regular bottling of dry riesling from this site. Very racy, vivid and complex, this delivers a serious jolt to the nervous system. Very long, radical finish. This shows why, back in 1904, the Hermannshöhle was classified as the best site on the Nahe. Drink or hold.
Galloni 92 Punkte: Zesty lemon, raw hazelnut and sea breeze on the nose anticipate the piquant, but brightly juicy as well as saliva-drawing salinity that follows on a glossy, palpably dense palate. Smoky marjoram pungency combines with refreshing and invigorating zesty lemon and tangerine, for a vibrant, gripping finish. As with this year’s Klamm, we have here the results of vinification entirely in 6-8 year-old casks. As mentioned in my note on this year’s “regular” Hermannshöhle bottling, parcels typically earmarked for that wine were this year routed to the “Magus” bottling because they exhibited such concentration. One upshot of that decision, in contrast with normal conditions, is to have significantly more bottles of “Magus” than there are of its little brother.
Parker-Reinhardt 91+ Punkte: The 2017 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Trocken Magnus is ripe but fine and subtle and somewhat phenolic on the nose. Full-bodied, intense and crystalline on the palate, this is a complex yet not fully ripe nor generous Hermannshöhle, but it is provided with a long and fine, mineral and salty finish. Tasted at the domain in July 2019.
