Location and Topography
The Klosterberg is a single-vineyard site in Ostritz in Saxony. The vineyard lies beside the Cistercian monastery of St. Marienthal on a south-facing slope at about 230 metres above sea level. Terraces and paths extend between the monastery wall, the monastery forest and the Calvary hill.
Vines and Cultivation
The vineyard area comprises 3,788 square metres with approximately 1,000 vines. It is cultivated on a voluntary basis by the Ostritz winegrowing community, which includes amateur winegrowers from Ostritz and Görlitz. To date, the fungus-resistant varieties Saphira and Sirius have been documented.
History and Vinification
On the monastery slope facing south, wine was grown until the middle of the 19th century. After a regional spread of phylloxera between 1870 and 1890, the vineyard was abandoned. In 1986, eight families leased roughly 2,000 square metres and restored the terraces; in 1993, the area was expanded to 3,788 square metres. The original plantings of about 800 Müller-Thurgau and 200 Goldriesling vines were replaced with PIWI varieties from 1998/1999 onwards.
From 1988/1989 to 1990, the grapes were taken to Meißen for pressing. Since 1990, processing has taken place on the vineyard itself; a cellar below the site is used for processing and maturation. After a severe winter in 1996/1997 and subsequent pest infestation, no harvest resulted.
Wine-Law Classification
In the Saxon wine register, the Klosterberg in Ostritz is listed as a single-vineyard site outside of an area. For authorised varieties, the Saxon legal framework provides for Qualitätswein and Prädikatswein, as well as the applicable natural minimum alcohol contents.
