Location and landscape
Castell is a municipality in the district of Kitzingen in Franconia, Bavaria. The place lies on the western foothills of the Steigerwald, below the Schlossberg, and is shaped by vineyards, orchards and woodland.
Vineyards and terroir
The Schlossberg drops off as a steep vineyard site from around 390 to 300 metres above sea level; the documented slope gradients range from 40 to 70 per cent. Its barren soils consist of Gipskeuper with a high proportion of gypsum and alabaster, blue slate and a shallow top layer rich in humus. The Reitsteig is also a steep site facing south, with a slope gradient of up to 70 per cent.
The vineyards of Castell are shaped predominantly by Gipskeuper. In the Kugelspiel, sandy loam soils meet red and green sandstone, while the Kirchberg is characterised by deep, calcareous soils and veins of alabaster.
Silvaner and wine-growing history
Silvaner is the most important grape variety in Castell. The first documented Silvaner vines were planted in 1659 using 25 Austrian cuttings; this process is traditionally regarded as the beginning of Silvaner cultivation in Germany. An early mention of the vineyard Hohnart dates back to 1266.
The Silvaner wines from Castell are described as dry white wines with mineral and slightly herbaceous characteristics. The Gipskeuper sites produce mineral white wines and structured red wines. The Schlossberg is classified as a VDP.GROSSE LAGE, with Bausch, Hohnart, Kirchberg, Kugelspiel and Reitsteig as VDP.ERSTE LAGE.
Cultivation and maturation
Castell follows a nature-oriented, low-intervention approach, focusing on active soils, nutrients, micro-organisms and available moisture. The VDP.ERSTE-LAGE wines are released one year after the harvest following longer ageing in wooden casks.
