Location and classification
Blattenberg is a legally registered single vineyard in the municipal and cadastral area of Mehring on the Mosel. The vineyard lies to the east of the town of Mehring. In the Mosel winegrowing region, the site belongs to the Bernkastel area and to the Großlage of Sankt Michael. In the official register, it is listed under number 410809 with 38.6 hectares of planted area.
Relief and rock
The river bank, which is oriented towards the south-southwest, has a steep gradient that is more than 50 percent in places. Terraces, rock outcrops, rock walls, steps and dry-stone walls built from slate scree shape the slope. A former slate quarry is also documented. The soils and exposed bedrock consist of blue Devonian slate with quartzite interbeds. The site is characterised by a great deal of sun and wind; the widened Mosel and the slate store heat and release it again.
History and cultivation
Local historical records connect the name Blattenberg with the earlier ownership of the abbey of Prüm. The term abbate plantare referred to its plantings, the wines of which were reserved for the abbot. The steep slopes, terraces and difficult access make cultivation harder; for individual sections, the partial abandonment of viticulture is documented. Some terraces have very old vines. For certain Blattenberg plots, manual work and selective hand-harvesting are documented.
Grape varieties and wine styles
Riesling is grown on the steep slopes of Blattenberg. Dry, finely off-dry, Kabinett and Spätlese wines are documented. From the site, Scheurebe was also bottled as “Mehringer Blattenberg”. For own vineyard plots, one hectare of own-rooted Riesling vines aged over 100 years, as well as dry wines, Trockene Beerenauslese and Eiswein in suitable vintages are documented. In cellar work, among other things, very slow fermentation using pure yeast, predominantly dry maturation and gentle processing of sound grapes are described.
