Herrenstück

Herrenstück is an officially listed single vineyard in the cadastral areas of Bickensohl and Oberrotweil in the Kaiserstuhl wine-growing region of Baden. The associated Großlage is Vulkanfelsen. The site extends from the edge of the village of Bickensohl to the forest edge of Totenkopf and lies at around 200 to 400 metres above sea level. Vogtsburg im Kaiserstuhl is the assigned locality.

Herrenstück faces south-west; for the single vineyard, south-east and southerly orientations are also documented. Site conditions include warm, sunny days, cool nights and wind influence. The subsoil consists of volcanic rock, which is covered with loess. The loess layer is described as a nutrient- and water-holding component.

For selected Herrenstück parcels, yield reduction, hand selection and selective hand harvesting are documented. One parcel was cultivated using targeted organic fertilisation, repeated yield regulation after flowering and during ripening, and a target yield of 60 kilograms per are. With Herrenstück, among other things, wines from Blue Spätburgunder, Grauburgunder, Chardonnay, Muskateller, Gewürztraminer and Riesling are associated. Documented examples range from dry Pinot Noir and Grauburgunder to Chardonnay Spätlese, Muskateller Kabinett, Gewürztraminer Auslese and Riesling Eiswein.

A documented Herrenstück Pinot Noir was fermented spontaneously as whole-berry must, pumped over daily, kept on the fine lees for six months and then developed in large wooden barrels for up to 24 months. For another Pinot Noir parcel, spontaneous must fermentation with up to 30 percent stalk content, six months on the coarse lees and up to 18 months on the fine lees in new and used 225-litre barriques are described. For Grauburgunder, whole clusters were pressed and the wine fermented spontaneously in 225-litre barriques and 500-litre tonneaux, kept on the fine lees for more than nine months and stirred regularly.