Location and Landscape
The almond orchard is a legally registered vineyard site in Neustadt an der Weinstraße. The vineyard area is recorded in the cadastral districts of Gimmeldingen and Mußbach. Locally, the site is referred to as the Gimmeldinger Mandelgarten and is assigned to the Gimmeldingen vineyard landscape at the edge of the Haardt.
Topography and Climate
The site described by VDP lies on a hill in front of the Haardtgebirge and slopes to the south and south-east. It is situated at around 132 to 145 metres above sea level and has a gradient of approximately ten percent. The elevated position ensures intensive sunshine exposure, while in the evenings and at night cold air drains from the Palatinate Forest, leading to cooler nights and pronounced day-night temperature differences.
Soil and Vines
The soil consists of loess over Buntsandsteinkies or coarse sandstone material. At a depth of around two metres, a clay layer is described with a water-bearing vein, which supports the vines’ water supply during dry periods. The classified area comprises 11.20 hectares. As a classified grape variety, VDP lists Riesling; in the plots of the Stolleis winery, Spätburgunder and St. Laurent are also planted.
History and Wines
The name Mandelgarten is traced back to almond trees that grew earlier on the site. The site is already documented in the accounting records of the Abbey of Weißenburg from 1456 as a source of high-quality wines. The historical cadastral name Meerspinne refers to a core area of the Mandelgarten. VDP lists the Gimmeldinger Mandelgarten as VDP.ERSTE LAGE® with Riesling. Documented wines include dry Riesling, Riesling Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese and Grosses Gewächs. For Mandelgarten wines from the Stolleis winery, work by hand on old vines, low yields, selective hand-harvesting in multiple passes, spontaneous fermentation and longer maturation in traditional wooden casks are documented.
