Location and Landscape
Felseneck is a vineyard site in Bockenau in the growing region Nahe. It lies in the basin of the Ellerbach, a side valley of the upper Nahe. The south-facing vineyard extends from about 250 to 310 metres in altitude and has slope inclines of approximately 35 to 70 percent. Wooded heights protect the site from cold downslope winds, while the south-facing slope receives sun into the evening.
Rock and Soils
The site is shaped by the Upper Rotliegend from the Waderner layers. Documented rock components include blue Devonian slate, quartzite, basalt scree, conglomerates and fanglomerates. The stony soils warm up easily and are well-drained.
Vines and Wines
The VDP site profile records 17 hectares as classified vineyard area and Riesling as the classified variety. Schäfer-Fröhlich farms around 9 hectares at Felseneck; roughly 80 percent of the vines there are older than 40 years and have deep roots. According to Schäfer-Fröhlich, these old vines help the plantings to withstand summer drought.
Documented are Riesling wines in the styles dry, Spätlese and Auslese. The dry site wine is marketed by Schäfer-Fröhlich as VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS. The wines of the site are described as having a fine, layered, slate-driven mineral character.
Classification
Felseneck is classified as VDP.GROSSE LAGE®. This classification by the VDP is a private classification and is not part of German wine law. Within the VDP classification, the variety regionally defined for VDP.GROSSE LAGE® on the Nahe is Riesling; dry wines from such sites may be referred to as VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS®. Felseneck is also documented in an extract from the historic wine-growing map for the Regierungsbezirk Koblenz from 1901.
