Location and Landscape
Klosterlay, also Rüdesheimer Klosterlay, is a vineyard in the Rheingau near Rüdesheim am Rhein. It surrounds the former Benedictine nuns’ monastery by today’s parish church in Eibingen. The south-facing site classified as VDP.ERSTE LAGE® lies at around 160 metres above sea level and has a slope of between 10 and 15 percent.
Soil and Microclimate
The nearby settlement of Eibingen protects the vineyards and helps to create a balanced local microclimate. The predominant soils are deep-rooting, calcareous loess soils, or loamy soils with loess. In some areas, medium- to deep-rooting Taunus quartzite occurs.
Grape Varieties and Wine Styles
The classified area comprises 26.00 hectares. The grape varieties listed are Riesling and Spätburgunder. Documented are Riesling Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese as well as dry and delicately off-dry Riesling wines.
Name and Wine-Growing History
The name goes back to a slate outcrop that was formerly called “Lay”. The vineyard is associated with the Benedictine nuns’ monastery founded by Hildegard of Bingen, which was secularised in 1824. The monastery winery Abtei St. Hildegard cultivates areas in the Klosterlay and grows Riesling and Spätburgunder. For its wines, the winery documents the ripening of Riesling in stainless steel and of red wines in wooden casks.
