Location and classification
Fettgarten is an officially registered single vineyard site in the Merl district of Zell (Mosel) in the Mosel. It belongs to the Burg Cochem area and to the Großlage Schwarze Katz. In the register of vineyard sites, the site is listed under number 440412 for the cadastral area of Merl; according to the 2024 register, the planted area is 9.6 hectares.
Terrain and soil
The Fettgarten is described as a steep hillside site facing south to south-east. The terrain has medium-deep, stony and quartz-rich weathering soils with slate. In the core area of the Merl Fettgarten, Devonian slate has been documented. In addition, the site is described as sunny and shaped by a special microclimate.
Vines and cultivation
In the Merl Fettgarten, Riesling is grown. Plots belonging to a producer are cultivated according to certified organic guidelines. For a Riesling from the core area, twice hand-selected grapes are documented, a maximum yield of 50 hectolitres per hectare and a minimum must weight of 93 degrees Oechsle.
Wine and historical classification
Producers describe Rieslings from the Fettgarten as spicy, full-bodied, rich and fruity. The statements on ageing range here from usually semi-dry to generally dry. A Riesling from the 2024 vintage is listed with 56.8 grams of residual sugar per litre, 7.1 grams of acidity per litre and 10.0 per cent alcohol, and is described as being shaped by pronounced natural fruit sweetness. The Fettgarten is also among the Merl wine sites that a producer classifies as a Erste Lage in the Mosel classification of 1869.
