The Rüdesheim mountain | unique terroir in the World Heritage
The Rüdesheim mountain is one of the most astonishing vineyard sites in Germany and hence well known for it´s famous steep slopes. Throughout the centuries the BERG ROTTLAND, BERG SCHLOSSBERG, BERG KAISERSTEINFELS and the BERG ROSENECK have acquired international reputation and the wines from these unique sites are true ambassadors of our terroir. The summits of the Taunus mountains offer the perfect conditions for top-class viticulture and the diversity of the soils creates an outstanding mineral fingerprint in each wine. We´re proud to work in the World Heritage sites of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, with it´s remains of old vineyard terraces and it´s impressive boulders.
Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz
Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz is located to the east of our town, close to the city of Geisenheim. Here you will find the gentle hills with profound loess and loam soils, good content of chalk that secure even in hot years a sufficient water supply. The vines are bearing enduring and fruitful wines. The fine sandy, silty loess has been weathered to fertile brownish loess-loam which is distributing rich contents of nutrients and water. The loosened substrate alleviates the vine to root deep into the ground, to make the nutrients and the water accessible. The soils contain beside the loess-loam a mixture of gritty terrace sediments, the rocks of the mountain range (quartz and slate) and the sediments of a tropical ocean from the Tertiary (sand and marly clay). It is pretty easy to work on these soils, but a big threat is erosion.
Rüdesheimer Kirchenpfad
Loess-quartzite or Terrace sediments. Ice age dust is found in most of the vineyard soils. Storm winds moved these fine dust particles from ancient gravel beds deposited by wide rivers. The fragile substrate makes it easy for roots to penetrate deep into the soil and reach water and nutrients. The most important property of the loess is its high available soil water capacity. The silty soil is easy to manage but is also readily washed away. The sandy loess is partially mixed with gravel sediments of the former terrace banks of the Rhine, with quartzite or slate or coarse coastal sediments from the Tertiary.
Rüdesheimer Klosterlay
The vineyard is located around the old Benedictine convent above Rüdesheim, which has been founded by St. Hildegard. The term lay stands for rock. The soils consist mainly of deep, calcareous loess soil. In some places you can find islands of medium-deep Taunus quartzite. The areas are located on the second level of the Mainz Basin, which was created by a natural folding of the mountains. Due to the proximity of the location one can speak of a very well-protected and well-balanced microclimate. Additionally the radiant heat of the location supports this in a very positive way. The loess-loam soil produces wines with a fruity and spicy acidity and of great elegance.
Rüdesheimer Bischofsberg
The Bischofsberg is the westernmost Rheingau vineyard with sedimentary soils. The Rhine breaks a swath through the Rhenish highlands and leaves behind on its flanks in Rüdesheim the primeval rocks. The so-called Whisper Winds, these move in the morning on the Bischofsberg in east-west direction, condition that here the haze of the morning, not as in the rest of the Rheingau, stops. The vines have a not so high humidity and dry off faster. From the north they are protected from cold winds by the coppice. The deep soils have a good water retention capacity. The name comes from Archbishop Siegfried von Mainz who ordered the cultivation of this part of the Rüdesheim "Oberfeld" in 1074. For a small annual contribution in kind, which was well below the usual tithing of the income, the area was parceled out with landmarks and provided to the Rüdesheim "subjects". To honor and in memory of this medieval, fiscal investment promotion, the location still bears the name Bischofsberg today. It is classified as a VDP.ERSTE LAGE today.
Rüdesheimer Drachenstein | Premier Cru
The Rüdesheimer Drachenstein vineyard is situated at the base of the national monument “Germania” close to the Niederwald-forest. Here, the soil contains a combination of quartz and quartzite with mixed-in red clay slate. The quartz is the main material covered with red slate, which are soft water sediments. Red colouring is a result of the iron content of this slate that has been oxidised to iron oxide under an arid climate, leaving a very rocky, hard soil. The soil warms easily because of the low water content and high solar radiation levels along the slope. As a result, the vine experiences water stress early in the year and must somehow cope with the available water. The plants react by reducing the number and size of the grapes. Therefore, these sites produce low yields of very aromatic grapes.
BERG ROSENECK | GRAND CRU
The BERG ROSENECK is situated beneath the Niederwald Monument in Rüdesheim in the Rheingau. The name of the vineyard comes from “Rosenhecke” which means “rose hedge” and refers to the protruding granite cliff within the vineyard where wild rose, rose hip and sloe grow. The south-facing vineyard rises from 160 to 200 metres a.s.l. at a 50 % gradient. The Taunus Mountains shield the site from the wind. The section in the western part of the vineyard, where the soil is very rocky, is among the steepest parcels in Germany. The eastern part of the site is flatter and deep loess loam soil dominates. The BERG ROSENECK is a Riesling vineyard. Wine was first cultivated here around the year 1200. At that time the vines wandered up the mountain in numerous small terraces. The mule tracks were eventually replaced with bracing walls and paths around 1700. In the course of land consolidation between 1970 and 1985, the paths were paved and the terraced vineyard areas were thus rescued.
ROSENGARTEN -MONOPOLE- | GRAND CRU
Close to the old Castle of Rüdesheim, the fortress of the Broemser knights, built around 1044 A.D., the archaic ROSENGARTEN vineyard is located - the source of our 5th grand cru. It is renowned for being amongst the first historical evidences for the settlement of people and is known over centuries for its outstanding quality of fruit. The historic value of the vineyard is significant for the development of viticulture in our region and today we´re working solely in this secluded site which is composed of 3 parts; the “Kreuzgarten” (garden of the cross) north of the fortress, the “Bienengarten” (garden of the bees) and the main site the “Rosengarten” (garden of roses), which contains the oldest vines. The soils are mainly assembled of sandy loess loam and a slight content of quartz; they have a very good water distribution.
BERG ROTTLAND | GRAND CRU
The numerous walls that cross the BERG ROTTLAND store warmth. The site lies above Rüdesheim at the foot of the Niederwalddenkmal monument on the majestic Rüdesheim mountain at 100 to 150 metres a.s.l. Facing completely south, the 15 to 50 percent grade slope is fully exposed to the abundant sunlight of the broad Rhine Valley. The rocky, skeletal soil has a high share of red slate and occasional appearance of grey slate, quartzite, and pebbles and partial covering with a shallow layer of loess. The soil warms easily and gradually releases these temperatures to the vines. The good drainage and low water storage capacity of the rocky subsoil makes it prone to drying. The fog banks that form in the Rhine Valley promote noble rot. Even in average years, Spätlese and Auslese of high quality are harvested. Predominantly Riesling and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) grow here. The name stems from the Middle High German terms “reten” and “rotten”, which mean to clear or to deforest. Between the years 1031 and 1051 the Archbishop of Mainz bequeathed this area to the Rüdesheim vintners with permission to clear the fallow land.
BERG SCHLOSSBERG | GRAND CRU
The impressive BERG SCHLOSSBERG resides in the bend of the Rhine River called the “Binger Loch”, which is west of Rüdesheim opposite Bingen and the Mouse Tower. The Rhine changes course here and travels north again after its east-west intermezzo in Rheingau. Steeper than anywhere else in Rheingau, the vine rows climb a 45 % gradient from 120 to 160 metres a.s.l. and are braced by mighty vineyard walls. Because the slope bulges toward the sun and the Rhine River reflection also makes its contribution, solar radiation in this south to southwest facing site is high. Taunus quartzite and phyllite slate dominate the soil of this steep 25-hectare vineyard, which is quite well drained and stores warmth well. The name stems from Burg Ehrenfels, now a castle ruin that can be seen from quite a distance.
BERG KAISERSTEINFELS | GRAND CRU
The impressive and sun pampered, south facing slope of the VDP.GROSSE LAGE® BERG KAISERSTEINFELS rises prominently above the bend in the Rhine at Rüdesheim. The Nahe empties into the Rhine directly opposite this partially terraced vineyard. At 5 to 35 percent gradient, the vineyards are steep to very steep. The soil of the 8.2 hectares is meagre and rocky; one finds quartzite slate rubble and in some areas there is a small share of red slate interstratification. The well drained soil is prone to dryness. The BERG KAISERSTEINFELS lies at 280 metres a.s.l. Predominantly Riesling grows here. History: The name stems from the bare, rocky soil structure and from Emperor Charles the Great (Kaiser der Große) who had the grape variety Orléans planted here.