Location and Classification
Kirchplatte is a legally registered single vineyard in the area of Nierstein in Rheinhessen and belongs to the Großlage Spiegelberg. The vineyard site extends across the cadastral areas of Nierstein and Schwabsburg. In the vineyard register 2024, 92.2 hectares are listed in Nierstein and 2.0 hectares in Schwabsburg, for a total of 94.2 hectares.
Name and Soils
The name Kirchplatte refers to church-owned property; “Platte” denotes an elevated, level area. The soil types documented are loess/pararendzina and Rotliegend/Rigosol. The loess-pararendzina is a deep, calcareous, light-coloured loam with clayey silt, a high usable water-holding capacity, as well as good conditions for aeration and root penetration. The Rotliegend-Rigosol is shallow to medium-depth, calcareous, stony and clayey-loamy, with a low usable water-holding capacity, good warming properties and moderate root penetrability.
Wine Style and Designation
With the loess-pararendzina proportion, yellow-fruit aromas are linked with apple, peach, pear and citrus, a comparatively light structure, refreshing acidity and wines that are ready to drink early. The Rotliegend-Rigosol proportion stands for herbaceous, finely-spiced and mineral notes as well as peach, apricot and melon, lively acidity, a multi-faceted structure, a development that is still closed off in youth, and ripening potential. The vineyard register code is 721008; the legally defined designation is Kirchplatte, Nierstein.
