Location and landscape
The Eilfingerberg is a vineyard site in Maulbronn in Württemberg, Germany. The documented site is oriented from south-east to east and lies at an altitude of 260 to 320 metres above sea level. Its slopes have gradients of 10 to 50 per cent; the Eilfingerberg is also described as being oriented to the south.
Soil and geology
The soil of the Maulbronner Eilfingerberg and the Eilfingerberg Klosterstück is described as Bunter Mergel. At the Elfingerberg, reedsandstone emerges from the Triassic Keuper formation. In the vineyard growing documentation, the name of the site is also linked to an underlying Gypsum Keuper formation.
History of the vineyard
The historic Elfinger vineyard was laid out by Cistercian monks of the Maulbronn monastery; historical records also document terracing. The site was associated with the Eilfinger Hof and is first shown cartographically on the forest map created between 1680 and 1687 by Andreas Kieser. The Eilfingerberg was former property of the Maulbronn monastery and in 1872 passed into the possession of the dukes of Württemberg.
Classification and grape varieties
The Maulbronner Eilfingerberg is registered as VDP.ERSTE LAGE® with a classified area of 9.00 hectares. For this site, Riesling, Weißer Burgunder and Lemberger are provided as classified grape varieties. The Eilfingerberg Klosterstück is registered as VDP.GROSSE LAGE® with 5.35 hectares of classified area; Riesling and Lemberger are permitted there. In the 19th century, in addition, Trollinger, Portugieser, Riesling and Weißer Burgunder were grown at the Eilfingerberg.
