Location and climate
Neustadt-Haardt is the Haardt district of Neustadt an der Weinstraße. It lies on the eastern edge of the Palatinate Forest above the Rhine plain and belongs to Pfalz. The nearby low mountain range shields the town from a large part of the western rainfall. As a result, there is a sheltered, mild climate.
History and viticulture
Haardt has been documented for more than 750 years. The historical prosperity was connected with viticulture; winemaker’s houses and vineyards from the 18th century still shape the character of the town. The vineyard sites include Bürgergarten, Herrenletten and Herzog.
The location Herzog
Haardter Herzog is listed in the VDP as VDP.ERSTE LAGE® for the Palatinate, with a classified area of 33 hectares. The southeast-facing site has an average slope of 15 percent. The site profile names lean Haardt sandstone soils; for the historic vineyard area, transitions from calcareous marl and clayey limestone to gravel are also documented.
Grape varieties and wines
More than 16 grape varieties are grown in Haardt, including Portugieser, Scheurebe and Gänsfüßer. For Herzog, among others, Riesling, Weißburgunder, Spätburgunder, Muskateller, Scheurebe, Rieslaner and Chardonnay are classified. A dry Herzog Riesling is documented with 12.5 percent alcohol, 7 g/l acidity and 6.6 g/l residual sugar. In the vineyard, yield is limited by manual thinning after flowering. For a documented Herzog Chardonnay, the grapes were hand-harvested, sorted, cold-soaked for two days, fermented spontaneously in 228-litre barriques and matured on full lees until bottling.
