Location and natural conditions
Bengel is a named vineyard site in Meersburg in Baden. The steep site, which is oriented to the south, is shaped by a pre-Alpine maritime climate and stony glacial weathering soils in the area of an end moraine.
Grape varieties and wine styles
Riesling, Müller-Thurgau and Spätburgunder have been documented for Bengel. These include an off-dry Riesling, a Müller-Thurgau with perceptible residual sweetness, as well as a Spätburgunder referred to as Grosses Gewächs. The documented Müller-Thurgau is classified as a Qualitätswein.
Cultivation and maturation
The vineyard is farmed sustainably, including measures to promote biodiversity of plants and small animals, as well as to reduce the need for plant protection treatments. For the Müller-Thurgau, a selective hand-harvest is documented; fermentation and maturation take place temperature-controlled in stainless steel. The Spätburgunder undergoes traditional maceration on the skins for around two weeks, is pressed gently and partly matured in barriques, whereby, according to the product specification, 50 percent ripen in the barrique.
