Bürgel

Bürgel is an officially designated single vineyard in the Dalsheim district of Flörsheim-Dalsheim. It belongs to the Wonnegau area and to the Großlage Burg Rodenstein in Rheinhessen. Spanning 84 hectares, the wine-growing site lies on the Fleckenmauer at the western edge of Dalsheim and extends from the upper slope edge to the wall.

The sheltered site is oriented to the south as well as from south-east to east. The portion classified as VDP.GROSSE LAGE covers 13.67 hectares, lies at an elevation of 150 to 260 metres, and has a slope gradient of 10 to 35 per cent. The dry site climate is described for the surrounding hilly countryside as having around 500 millimetres of annual rainfall.

In Bürgel, loess-pararendzina and limestone-rendzina occur. The calcareous loess is deep and water-retentive, whereas the limestone soil is shallow to medium-deep, very calcareous and stony. In the VDP.GROSSE-LAGE portion, shell limestone over loess with tertiary clays as well as Terra fusca, marl and loess are mentioned.

Bürgel is associated in particular with Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. In the classified portion, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling are permitted; Pinot Noir is the predominant variety there. From this site, white and red Burgundian wines as well as sparkling wines are produced.

A documented Blanc de Blanc from Dalsheimer Bürgel was produced from selectively hand-harvested grapes, gently pressed as whole berries, fermented with Champagne yeast, subjected to natural malolactic fermentation, matured in stainless steel, and aged on the lees for 78 months.

The wine-growing site has been documented since 1286 as “retro montem” and since 1358 as “uf dem berge”. The current name Bürgel is derived from this reference to a mountain or elevation. In addition to being a single vineyard in the official German wine-growing sites register, a portion of 13.67 hectares is classified separately as VDP.GROSSE LAGE.