Heiligenberg in the Rheingau
Heiligenberg is a single vineyard site in Hattenheim, a district of Eltville am Rhein, in the wine-growing region Rheingau. The site is assigned to the large vineyard of Deutelsberg and covers 36 hectares.
Site and soils
Heiligenberg shows a slight slope towards the River Rhine. The soils consist of shallow to deep-coloured slate as well as deep loess loam with a high water content.
Grape varieties and wine style
In the Rheingau vineyard directory, Riesling is listed for Heiligenberg. Spätburgunder is documented from individual Hattenheim producers such as Gerster-Wagner and the wine and sparkling wine estate Barth from the site. The wines are described as powerful, with firm, pronounced acidity; their aromas tend to develop with longer ageing in the bottle.
Name and winemaking
The name Heiligenberg is attributed either to a prehistoric cult site or to a Christian image niche that was previously located there. Gerster-Wagner documents, for wines from Hattenheim sites including Heiligenberg, careful hand harvesting. The white wines are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, while Spätburgunder is matured in traditional wooden casks.
