Location and viticulture
Kirchherrenberg is a vineyard site in the Fessenbach district of the town of Offenburg in the wine-growing region Baden. Classified as a single site, it faces directly to the south and is associated with the cultivation of red grape varieties. The official Offenburg Wine Education Trail runs through the site.
Climate and soils
Kirchherrenberg is described as mild and thermally favourable. For Offenburg, around 2,800 hours of sunshine per year are given. The vineyards are strongly shaped by gneiss and granite. In addition, tectonic faults at the edge of the Black Forest lead to local occurrences of Buntsandstein and porphyry.
Grape variety and wine style
From Fessenbach’s Kirchherrenberg, Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder) has been documented. With the site, soft, silky red wines are associated, especially dry Pinot Noir.
A documented Pinot Noir comes from old, selected plantings. Through thinning, the yield was limited to one grape per vine; the grapes were harvested at full ripeness. In the 2022 vintage, an open, cool and slow fermentation took place, as well as an approximately four-week maceration period. After that, the wine matured for 16 to 24 months in tonneaux and barriques.
History
Winegrowing at the Fessenbacher Kirchherrenberg is documented for the year 1243 with the Gengenbach-Offenburg wine manufactory.
