Location and Classification
The Elkersberg is a legally registered single vineyard site in the municipality and cadastral district of Alsenz in the Nahe. It belongs to the Nahetal area and to the large vineyard site Paradiesgarten, and is listed under wine site code 511344. The planted vineyard area was 2.7 hectares according to the 2024 harvest data.
Terrain and Climate
The vineyard site lies in a south-south-west-facing slope hollow. It is considered to be sheltered from wind and receives sunlight over long periods. The soil consists of very stony clay and slate weathering material. Recurring frost in winter or spring has, in some years, led to losses in yield.
History and Cultivation
The Elkersberg was not cultivated for many years, causing the traditional name of the site locally to be forgotten. For the Grünewald winery, it is documented that in 1864 it acquired its first vineyard in the Alsenzer Elkersberg and cultivated the site for almost 100 years. According to this account, yield losses due to frost contributed to the abandonment by surrounding winegrowers.
Grape Variety and Ageing
Riesling is documented as the grape variety at the Elkersberg. Weingut Hahnmühle filled Rieslings from the site under the designation Alisencia, including dry Riesling and Riesling ice wine. One wine was aged for nine months in wooden barrels on fine lees before bottling; a hand-selected dry Riesling cuvée matured in a 1,000-litre Fuder cask.
