Location and classification
The Himmelacker is the single-vineyard Dautenheimer Himmelacker, also called Alzeyer Himmelacker, in the Dautenheim district of Alzey. The site belongs to the Wonnegau area and to the Großlage Sybillenstein; as a municipality, Dautenheim is designated. Within the single-vineyard there is the open-air stage Dautenheim.
Soils and wine character
Documented are a shallow to medium-deep, very lime-rich and stony Rendzina formed from marine deposits of the Tertiary, as well as a deep soil Löss-Pararendzina. The Rendzina is sandy-loamy, stores only a limited amount of plant-available water and shows restricted rooting depth. The Löss-Pararendzina consists of light loam with clayey silt, has high water retention and good rooting depth. On the lime-rich, sandy-loamy soils several grape varieties grow.
With the Rendzina soil, wines with citrus, apple and gooseberry aromas are associated, later also notes of tropical fruit, balanced acidity and a limey-mineral character. The Löss-Pararendzina is described as having yellow fruit, apple, peach, pear and citrus, mild acidity and a medium-weight structure.
History of the name
The name refers to the former Himmelgarten monastery in Alzey, in which Cistercian nuns have been documented since at least 1281. The single-vineyard was first mentioned in 1426 under the name hinder hymmelgarten.
