Location and orientation
The Bürgergarten is a vineyard site in Haardt, a district of Neustadt an der Weinstraße in the Pfalz. It lies below the Haardt hills near the Haardt district and is oriented to the south to south-east. The sheltered location keeps out cold air; its south-eastern orientation provides additional morning and daytime sun.
Soils and topography
The soils are deep and were formed from red sandstone (Buntsandstein) and, respectively, Haardt sandstone. Embedded loess clays and weathered yellow sandstone shape the documented soil description. The sub-plot Im Breumel lies on a plateau-like slope with gradients of up to ten percent at an elevation of 170 to 190 metres.
Grape varieties and wine styles
In the Haardt Bürgergarten, Riesling, Muscatel and Chardonnay are documented. The wines are produced dry; Riesling is also documented as a fine-bodied Kabinett and as a fine-fruited Spätlese. Viticulture at this site, according to the description, has existed for centuries. The name Bürgergarten is explained as a re-interpretation of the older term Bergergarten, which refers to a garden on a hill.
Site classification and vinification
Commercial wines labelled Haardter Bürgergarten are designated as VDP.Erste Lage and Qualitätswein. The sub-plot Im Breumel is classified as VDP.GROSSE LAGE; the corresponding Riesling by Müller-Catoir bears the designation Qualitätswein. For this wine, hand-harvesting with careful selection, a yield of 35 hectolitres per hectare and cool fermentation in a stainless-steel tank are stated.
