Location and classification
Eichberg is a legally listed single-vineyard site in the Baden wine-growing region, in the Breisgau area. The site is connected with Denzlingen, Glottertal and Heuweiler, and extends westwards through the Glottertal. The sub-areas mentioned include, among others, Rinzberg, Engelberg, Schlossberg, Düschenberg, Wisserberg, Einbollen, Föhrental and Heuweiler.
Landscape and climate
The vineyard plots lie on the southern foothills of the Black Forest and include parcels oriented to the south to the south-west. In the Glottertal, the vineyards reach up to an altitude of about 500 metres, and the slope gradient is up to 70 degrees. The local climate is shaped by around 2,000 hours of sunshine and 1,000 millimetres of annual rainfall. Warm air from the Rhine plain creates a thermal circulation in the valley, while in the evenings cold air from the Black Forest contributes to the coolness of the vines and wines.
Soils and cultivation
The documented soils consist of weathered granite gneiss. For the Eichberg, deep, humus-rich soils are also described. Because of the steep slopes, only limited mechanised work is possible; in the 68-hectare wine-growing area of Glottertal, around 90 per cent of the work is carried out by hand.
Grape varieties and wine styles
For wines labelled Eichberg, Spätburgunder, Grauburgunder, Weißburgunder, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc are documented. The wines are produced as dry red and white wines, including dry Spätburgunder and dry Grauburgunder. Described are fresh, mineral expressions as well as softer and more velvety wines from the deep soils. A documented Eichberg Grauburgunder was matured in barrique. Wine-growing in the Glottertal has been documented since 1585; in 1951, 13 winegrowers founded the Glottertäler wine cooperative.
