Designated Vineyards

Mittelheim Goldberg | (150-200 meters above sea level)

Out of deep appreciation for the excellent grape quality, the winegrowers of yore were prompted to christen the vineyard “Goldberg” (Gold Vineyard). The southern-facing slope sports deep loess and stony loess-loam soils.

Characteristics of the wines:

• hearty, vibrant acidity
• crispness and sweetness in perfect harmony
• balanced and buoyant

Oestrich Klosterberg | (160-250 meters above sea level)

The name of this vineyard sloping gently up to the south east goes back to the former Gottesthal cloister in the town of Oestrich. The Cistercian cloister was dissolved in 1811, yet several of the historic buildings are still standing at the foot of the vineyard.

Klosterberg (Cloister Vineyard) consists mainly of deep, sandy loam soils intermixed with Taunus quartzite, ensuring an ideal water supply for the vines.

These sun-kissed slopes produce wines full of fruity aromas and rich in extracts.

Characteristics of the wines:

• rich and full-bodied
• good minerality
• intense sunshine brings forth opulent fruit flavors

VDP.Erste Lage ®

Hallgarten Hendelberg | (300 meters above sea level)

Historians believe the name stems from a female deer (old high German „hinta“/ „Hindi“ = „Hirschkuh“ = Engl. “doe”).

In 1418 the Archbishop in Mainz Johann II of Nassau allowed the people of Hallgarten to clear the “Hindelberg” to plant grapevines, asking for a share of the wine as payment.

The southwest-facing slope is located at the edge of the forest, once the banks of the Mainz Basin. At 300 meters above sea level, it is one of the most elevated vineyards in the Rheingau. As such, the microclimate is rather cool, prompting a relatively late start, as well as a late end, to the growing season. Strong breezes course through the slopes, cooling the vineyard down and deterring fungal infection on the vines. The soils exhibit multicolored slate and quartzite.

Characteristics of the wines:

• lively, distinctive acidity
• delicately fruity, cool and straight-forward
• needs some time to fully develop; minerality from the multicolor slate soil
• vinification in large oak barrels allowing the wine’s flavor to unfold to its fullest.

VDP.Erste Lage ®

Hattenheim Wisselbrunnen | (100 meters above sea level)

The origin of the name “Wisselbrunnen” differs according to the historian asked. “Wissel” could come from the German word “Wiesel" (=“weasel”) or “Wiese” (= “meadow”) or even “Wisselbeere” (= a type of wild cherry). Since many vineyards in the Rheingau are named after small animals, it seems likely that “weasel” is the right source. Wisselbrunnen (= Weasel Spring) lies between the towns of Hattenheim and Erbach. Along with Erbach’s Marcobrunnen (= Markus Spring) and Hattenheim’s Nussbrunnen (= Nut Spring), this vineyard is one of the three celebrated “Spring” vineyards in the Rheingau. Wisselbrunnen faces south-southwest providing optimal warming from the sun. The light marl soils dating back to the Tertiary Period have excellent water retention capacity, ensuring that the grapes will ripen well even in years with very little precipitation.

Characteristics of the wines:

• delicate fruit paired with a fresh acidity and minerality
• characteristic salty, herbal note
• good aging potential

VDP.Grosse Lage ®

Oestrich Doosberg | (160 meters above sea level)

The name is closely related to „Dachsberg“ (= „badger’s vineyard“), as the soils here are just perfect for badgers to build their dens.

Doosberg slopes gently to the south, stretching uniformly across to form the eastern edge of the vineyards in the town of Oestrich.

A constant wind blows across this natural, flat slope, providing a great advantage especially during the late weeks of summer. The wind quickly disperses the dampness of morning fog or the wetness of rainfall, keeping the grapes healthy for the harvest.

The deep loess and loess-loam soils are peppered with veins of quartzite and sand for excellent water retention.

Characteristics of the wines:

• vibrant and full-bodied
• unfold slowly
• elegant, delicate fruitiness underlined by a distinctive minerality

VDP.Grosse Lage ®

Oestrich Lenchen | (130 meters above sea level)

There are two possibilities for the origin of this vineyard name.

1. In German the suffix “chen” indicates a diminutive, and the word “Lehen” means “land tenure”. So the name refers to a small plot of land given by a nobleman in tenure to a subordinate.
2. A slope (German = “Lehne”) running down to the Pfingstbach creek forming the edge of the original Lenchen vineyard.

The soils consist of deep loess and loess-loam with veins of sand, as well as of heavy Tertiary marl.

Characteristics of the wines:

• floral notes, yellow fruits, aromatic
• beautifully structured sweetness and acidity – perfect for a sweeter-style Riesling

VDP.Grosse Lage ®

Oestrich Rosengarten | (82-100 meters above sea level)

Sloping gently southward and measuring in at only 3.4 hectares, Rosengarten is one of the smallest single designated vineyards in the Rheingau. In 1971 the new wine laws integrated many smaller Rheingau vineyards into larger lots, as happened with this vineyard. Recently it has been removed from the larger “Lenchen” and reinstated as an independent area, becoming the first vineyard to officially “go back the roots” and be “newly” reclaimed as a VDP.Grosse Lage (Great Growth).

The name reminds us of times when this plot was used to cultivate roses. The unique microclimate is enhanced by the calcareous, loam and shell limestone soils peppered with veins of sand. The entire vineyard is encompassed by a stone wall which stores the sun’s heat, slowly releasing it as the day cools off.

Characteristics of the wines:

• delicate, supple structure
• subtle, velvety yellow fruits
• calcareous soils define the acidity in the wine

VDP.Grosse Lage ®

Oestrich Eiserberg | (110-135 meters above sea level)

Sloping gently southwest, the Eiserberg (Iron Hill) vineyard is a section of the Lenchen vineyard with a unique characteristic: the soil has a red hue derived from deposits of red gravel, red slate and red quartzite, hence the name “Iron Hill”. In the royal Prussian map of Rheingau vineyards, drawn in 1867 and the oldest known map of its kind, Eiserberg is shown as one of the top-ranking vineyards in the Rheingau. In the year 1920 Josef Spreitzer was able to harvest a trockenbeerenauslese in this very spot, weighing in with an incredible natural sugar level of 303 ° Oechsle.

Characteristics of the wines:

• fresh acidity
• this vineyard nurtures magnificent Spätlese wines with a distinctive sweetness

VDP.Grosse Lage ®

Mittelheim St. Nikolaus | (100 meters above sea level)

Namesake for this vineyard in the town of Mittelheim is the historic sandstone statue of Saint Nicolas standing at the edge of the road, overlooking the vines and the Rhine River. Our grapes grow higher up on this hill which slopes gently down to the south until it reaches the Rhine. Although the river influences the grapes growing close to its banks, our vines profit more from the breezes blowing down from the town of Hallgarten situated at the top of the Taunus foothills. These winds keep the vineyards cool and dry, ensuring healthy fruit. Saint Nikolaus has deep, calcareous loess soils with veins of gravel for good drainage.

Characteristics of the wines:

• delicate, cooling fruits
• calcareous soils define the acidity in the wine
• salty, citrus notes; vinification in young oak barrels underlines the unique characteristics of the wine; develops smoky nuances born by yellow stone fruit

VDP.Grosse Lage ®

Winkel Jesuitengarten | (90 meters above sea level)

The origin of the name reaches back to the year 1606 when Johann Schweikard von Cronberg, Archbishop of Mainz, gave the Saint Bartholomae Chapel to the Jesuit College in Mainz together with the vineyards which were included in this property. They remained in the ownership of the Jesuit College until 1773.

Jesuitengarten, which totals at 26 hectares, runs along the Rhine River between the towns of Winkel and Geisenheim.

The vineyard faces south southwest and is one of the warmest microclimates in the Rheingau, prompting these vines to flower and ripen earlier than many other locations in the area.

The lower part of the Jesuitengarten was once the banks of the Rhine River. These alluvial soils are made up of calcareous loess loam, sand, clay and gravel.

Characteristics of the wines:

• succulent, delicate fruit and light minerality
• good aging potential
• reminiscent of exotic fruits

VDP.Grosse Lage ®