Location and classification
Burgberg is an official wine-growing site in the Traben-Trarbach district of Traben-Trarbach on the Mosel. The vineyards lie directly below the ruins of Grevenburg, in a side valley of the Mosel. The name Burgberg has been used since the 1990s; older vineyard maps listed the site as part of the Schlossberg.
Topography, climate and soil
The west-facing slope rises from Trarbach up to the Grevenburg ruins. Documented parcels from the Richard Böcking estate show a slope of 50 to 60 percent and lie at around 140 to 240 metres above sea level. The soil consists of blue and grey slate with quartzite inclusions.
Downward-flowing, cool winds from the Hunsrück create clear differences between daytime and night-time temperatures. They contribute to late ripening and preserve the acidity. The nearby Mosel also provides a comparatively mild winter microclimate.
Vines and wine style
The Burgberg parcels documented by Richard Böcking cover 1.6 hectares. Around 40 to 75-year-old, mostly ungrafted vines are planted there, with a share of 100 percent Riesling. For the older vine sites, a yield of approximately 30 hectolitres per hectare is given.
Dry Rieslings as well as fruit-sweet Rieslings are documented from Burgberg as Kabinett or Spätlese. The wines described are clear, fresh and linear, with lively acidity, particularly in the Kabinett style.
Winemaking
The Trarbacher Burgberg Riesling from Richard Böcking matures 100 percent in Mosel fuder barrels. The Burgberg Grand Cru is also fermented and matured in wood; fermentation occurs spontaneously.
