Location and landscape
Felsenberg is a vineyard site in Schloßböckelheim in the Nahe wine-growing region Nahe. It stretches between the left bank of the Nahe and volcanic rock, where the valley narrows. The steep slope, facing south to south-south-west, has a gradient of around 50 to 60 percent and lies at approximately 130 to 200 metres above sea level.
Soil and climate
The vineyard comprises volcanic melaphyr, also referred to as rhyolite, as well as volcanic porphyry, rock rubble, stony, gritty loam and fine earth. The high proportion of weathered rock provides a loose, well-aerated soil with good drainage and rapid warming. A belt of rock protects the southern slope from falling winds. The sheltered location, the dark soil and the evening sunshine favour an early start to vegetation and a long ripening period. In addition, autumn mist and warmth, according to Gut Hermannsberg, create a greenhouse effect that supports ripening of the grapes.
Grape variety and wine style
For the site classified as VDP.GROSSE LAGE®, Riesling is listed as the only grape variety. Documentation links Felsenberg Rieslings with smoky, slate-like, or mineral and herbal-spiced notes, lively acidity and a pronounced mineral character. Gut Hermannsberg describes its dry Felsenberg Riesling from the 2023 vintage as VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS® with 12.0 percent alcohol, 2.6 grams of residual sugar and 7.6 grams of acidity.
History and cultivation
According to VDP, the site covers around 11 hectares; the classified area is given separately as approximately 9.60 hectares. Gut Hermannsberg cites 1917 as the first vintage of its Felsenberg holdings. Schloßböckelheim is documented as the traditional name for a wine site, the wines from which had an established reputation in the wine trade around the turn of the 20th century. For a Felsenberg Spätlese, Dönnhoff documents selected steep-slope parcels with 25 to 35-year-old vines, a yield of about 45 hectolitres per hectare and fully selective hand-harvesting.
