Location and classification
Eselshaut is a legally designated single vineyard in the Mußbach cadastral area of Neustadt an der Weinstraße in the Pfalz. The officially recorded vineyard area comprises 279.7 hectares.
Topography and soils
A documented plot lies on a foothill east of Gimmeldingen and slopes gently down towards Neustadt. It faces south, lies at an altitude of about 165 to 178 metres and has a gradient of roughly ten percent. The soil consists of coarse Buntsandstein scree as well as loess clay.
Climate and grape variety
The south-facing plot receives sun during the day and cools down quickly in the evening thanks to the wind blowing down from the Gimmeldingen valley. As a result, there is a pronounced difference between daytime and night-time temperatures. Spätburgunder is classified for Mußbacher Eselshaut as VDP.ERSTE LAGE; this classification applies to a sub-area of 75 hectares.
Cultivation and winemaking
In a documented Christmann plot, vines from the year 1987 are planted. The grapes are harvested entirely by hand using selective sorting into small crates. The Spätburgunder is fermented spontaneously with 15 percent whole grapes and matures in younger vintages for 16 to 17 months in barrique. Christmann describes it as concentrated and taut, shaped by the pronounced day-night difference, without coming across as overly powerful.
