Location and Single Vineyard
The Altenberg is designated as the Grunerner Altenberg in the former municipality of Grunern, which today is part of Staufen im Breisgau in Baden. The vineyard site lies on the south side of the entrance to the Münstertal at the foot of the Black Forest. Its ridge runs from north to south and encompasses slopes facing east and west.
Soils and Topography
The Altenberg is characterised by deep, heavy, calcareous and clay-rich soils. Individual plots feature heavy red loam with calcareous components. The soils warm up slowly and limit yields; the content of fine earth and clay is associated with wines rich in extract. The plots are described as steeply oriented to the east and also include moderately steep eastern sites.
Grape Varieties and Winemaking
In the Grunerner Altenberg, Gutedel, Bronner, Weißburgunder, Sauvignon Blanc, Spätburgunder, Solaris and Regent are documented. Gutedel grows in flatter to moderately steep areas, while Bronner, Weißburgunder, Sauvignon Blanc and Spätburgunder are cultivated in the uppermost and steepest plots. Documented are dry wines made from Gutedel, Weißburgunder, Sauvignon Blanc and Spätburgunder, as well as Federweißer from Solaris. A Spätburgunder was fermented for two weeks on the skins and then matured for one year in used barriques.
History and Cultivation
Records show an application for 1971 to have the Altenberg entered into the wine-growing sites register as a named vineyard site. From 1971 to 1973, maps of the Altenberg and Schlossberg followed. The Altenberg is listed there as a single vineyard site in the wine-growing sites register for Grunern. A business operating in the Altenberg has practised certified organic viticulture since 1978.
