Sites that tell a story

Only a few wine-growing regions, if any, are more spectacular than the Mosel. The wide water surface and the southfacing exposure of the steep vineyards ensure a unique microclimate. This, combined with the primeval slate soils, provides for the fascinating characteristics of the elegant wines that grow here. The Rieslings produced in this special environment, rank among the best white wines in the world.

Extreme in every aspect

Abysses open up when you are in the steep slopes of the Mosel. This makes a stay here as spectacular as the work exhausting. But it's worth it. The climate of the Mosel valley is ideal for viticulture. The river, dug deep into the primeval, steep slate slopes, created a valley protected from cold winds by dense forests, creating an almost Mediterranean climate.

Extreme contrasts in temperatures

The water surface of the river serves as a reflector and heat accumulator. The dark, blue Devonian slate stores heat during the day and releases it to the environment at night. The solar radiation is much more intense on the steep slopes, with gradients of up to 55°, than on the plain.

The most important helper of the winemaker is Nature

The relatively northern location of the valley compared to most wine regions of the world, provides very long daylight during the growing season in addition to the mild climate, which promotes the photosynthesis of the vines. The ripening is slow, which preserves aromas and crisp acidity and a cool, elegant minerality. Thus, complex wines are created, which are only available in the Mosel valley.

The vines are rooted several meters deep in the rocks

Another special feature of our steep slopes are the stony soils of leafy, blue-grey slate. These slate soils have a low pH and are rich in minerals, especially iron. All this ensures a good acidity structure and the expressive minerality of our wines. The location in the barren steep slope forces the vines to form roots, which penetrate meters deep into the soil and the underlying bedrock, to supply themselves with water and minerals.

MAY WE INTRODUCE: OUR SINGLE VINEYARDS.

Located behind Zeltingen and Rachtig, it is the largest of the three vineyard sites. Medium sized, finely weathered slate soil with a high humus content dominates here. In the core area behind the village center, the vineyard is very steep with an orientation to the south-southeast. In the part downstream behind Zeltingen, the site turns to the southwest and west.
From the upper and westward-turning piece of Himmelreich, come usually our Kabinett wines. On the palate, they present plenty of flavor, with a nice fruitiness and a crisp , animating acidity.

The Schlossberg is the smallest single vineyard in Zeltingen. Composed of medium-sized and small Devonian slate stones mixed with humous fine earth in the steep slope, the vineyard site is mostly inclined to the south. On the bedrock of Devonian slate lies a relatively thick layer of weathered slate, mixed with humous clay, which allows a good water supply and deep rooting.

The wines from this site are powerful, flavorful and at the same time of aristocratic finesse. Densely woven in the nose, herbaceous spicy, smoky-salty.

 

The Zeltinger Sonnenuhr site is the downstream continuation of the Wehlener Sonnenuhr. In Zeltingen, the barrage increases the water surface. The Sonnenuhr ends at the church in Zeltingen. It is one of the most famous Mosel sites, a steep slope with many protruding slate cliffs. The topsoil consists of coarse Devonian slate boulders, the subsoil of soft, weathered slate, resting on primary rock. Of our six top locations, this is the most rocky, driest soil. The vines are located in pure south exposure between 110 and 230 meters above sea level.

The wines of the Zeltinger Sonnenuhr have a delicate, slightly salty minerality. They are yellow-fruity, fine-floral, with expressive spice. Playful and very complex.

The Wehlener Sonnenuhr stretches opposite of the town of Wehlen between the river and the edge of the forest. This steep slope is purely south-facing. Medium to large Devonian slate boulders in the topsoil, relatively subtle subsoil of weathered slate and a little clay with a little more water than in the rocky plots of the namesake sister.
The top location Wehlener Sonnenuhr extends from the river up to the forest between 110 and 280 meters above sea level. The wines beguile with their extremely fine fruitiness and great elegance.

The vineyards of the Graacher Domprobst, located at an altitude of 110 to 260 meters, drop steeply towards the village of Graach on the Mosel River.
The soils in the southwest- and south-southwest oriented single vineyard consist of medium sized, gray-blue Devonian slate with clay in the subsoil and a very good water storage capacity. The slightly heavier, moist soil brings bold, mineral-earthy wines with partly exotic fruit notes, which have a legendary development potential.

Behind the town of Bernkastel is the southeast-south-southwest-oriented, gently rising Badstube vineyard site. It consists of the single vineyards Doctor, Alte Badstube am Doctorberg, Lay, Graben, Mattheisbildchen and Bratenhöfchen.
The soil is made of fine, grey-blue Devonian slate. The subsoil is deep, weathered, loose slate with a little clay, including Devonian slate bedrock with a good water supply.

 

Our property in the Bernkasteler Graben consists of a very old, densely planted, rootless parcel, which we have been picking and vinifying separately since 2020.
The wines are herbaceous-fragrant, often with notes of red berries and of very appealing fruitiness.

Pure terroir: our micro parcels

All grapes in a plot are harvested together, regardless of their degree of ripeness, and these grapes are then pressed and vinified together. This brings an unvarnished image of the terroir and the character of the specific site. This expresses the potential of “Anrecht, Schmitt and Rotlay” particularly well.

The parcel “Anrecht” can be described as a filet piece of the single vineyard Himmelreich. It is particularly steep, located on the flank of the slope, which looks south.

Very high proportion of stone in the topsoil, humous fine soil in the middle, leafy Devonian slate in the subsoil. There are, over 40 years old vines, with some of them being uncrafted. On the 1868 map it is marked in dark red. The wines from the parcel Anrecht are powerful and dense. The fine acidity, herbal spice and the expressive minerality characterize the wine. It commences very finesse rich and due to the high degree of ripeness it is vinified in a sweet Auslese style.

“Schmitt” is the common name in Zeltingen for the filet piece of the Schlossberg. Located directly behind the Zeltinger church, inclined to the south, this part of the Schlossberg leads steeply upwards. It is in the dark red, highest level of the 1868 classification.

From the plot “Schmitt” come long-lived, very dense, characterized by fruit and salty minerality, wines – always with fine phenolics and a beautiful play of acidity and sweetness.

The cadastral parcel Bömer is located in the warm south-southwest filet of the Schlossberg, directly behind the rooftops of Zeltingen and below the Schmitt parcel. This plot is favoured by the additional heat radiation of the slate-roofed houses. In contrast to the other three top plots, “Bömer” is harvested a little earlier, paying attention to very healthy, perfectly ripe grape material. The wines from the Bömer are fermented into dry style and bottled only after a long barrel maturation on the full lees.

“Rotlay” is the old cadastral name of this micro parcel in the Zeltinger Sonnenuhr. It lies privileged between massive rocky outcrops and the wide water surface of the dammed Mosel, like in a basin, with a particularly warm microclimate. Very steep sloped, covered with slate and inclined to the south, this vineyard lies in the dark red colored, highest class of the classification of 1868. The morning haze of the wide water surface predestines this plot for the development of high-quality noble rot in late autumn.

The wines captivate with a depth and density and a fascinating combination of aromatic fullness and elegance, often highlighted by spicy notes of highly ripe botrytis grapes.