Location and wine-growing area
Mertendorf is a municipality in the Burgenlandkreis district in Saxony-Anhalt. The municipality lies within the protected Saale-Unstrut designated region of origin. In the official register of vineyard sites, Mertendorf is assigned to the Großlage Naumburger Göttersitz; a delimited name for a single vineyard site is not listed there.
Natural conditions
The hillsides near Mertendorf rise about 120 to 185 metres above sea level. The area includes south- and west-facing slopes as well as part of a high plateau. Geologically, it belongs to the eastern edge of the Naumburg Shell Limestone basin with Lower Shell Limestone, Upper Bunter sandstone and a local loess cover. Documented soils include mountain clay-sand rendzinas, mountain clay rendzinas, gravel soils formed from loess, and pararendzinas.
Climate and historical vineyards
The wine-growing region Saale-Unstrut is influenced by a continental climate. River valleys create locally warmer areas; the annual precipitation amount is around 500 millimetres. On the hillsides, earlier vineyard terraces on the south-facing slope and remains of old vineyard walls demonstrate historical wine-growing. After the phylloxera crisis of 1887, large-scale viticulture in the surrounding landscape declined significantly; former wine-growing areas were subsequently converted mainly into pasture and fruit orchards.
Regional wine profile
In the growing area, Weißburgunder and Müller-Thurgau, among others, are important grape varieties. The white wines from the protected designation of origin range from elegant-fruity to full-bodied and show fruity to spicy aromas. Their regional profile is described as fine, fresh and clearly aromatic. For some white wines, large wooden vessels and barriques are used.
