Location and soil
The Dechantenberg is an officially listed single vineyard in the Schloss Neuenburg area of the wine-growing region Saale-Unstrut. The roughly 3.5-hectare site lies in the municipality of Goseck above the Saalewiesen. Terraced vineyard walls and the south-western aspect shape the location.
Geology and vines
The vines grow on Bunter sandstone. The soil that has weathered from it is described as sandy, stony, low in nutrients and dry. It is difficult to root through, but it has good aeration and warms up well. Currently, Riesling and Pinot Blanc are planted.
History and use
The vineyard was initially associated with the Benedictines and later with the Counts of Goseck, and has been in state ownership since 1903. After the phylloxera catastrophe, the Dechantenberg lay fallow and was cultivated again in connection with research into grafted vines. The State Winegrowing Administration used it as an experimental and production vineyard; historical records also provide clone registers for Pinot Blanc, yield registers, and its use in vine breeding and grafted-vine research.
Wines
At the Dechantenberg, vines have been cultivated continuously since 1080. A documented Goseck Dechantenberg Riesling is a dry German quality wine. The site was also used for a Riesling Beerenauslese in the noble-sweet style. A documented Riesling from the 2022 vintage ripened in a granite vessel.
