Location and classification
Mönchshang, also documented as Zeiler Mönchshang, is a single vineyard site in Zeil am Main in the wine-growing region Franconia. The name refers to a hill near Zeil am Main with a height of around 349 metres.
Soil and cultivation
The documented vineyard area comprises 2.87 hectares and is associated with Keuper soils. The site is documented as a monopoly of the Dr. Heigel winery. Grown varieties include, among others, Müller-Thurgau, Rieslaner, Riesling, Kerner, Silvaner, Bacchus, Domina and Blauer Portugieser.
Wine styles
The documented Mönchshang wines include dry Riesling, Rieslaner, Kerner Spätlese and an orange-coloured Silvaner. The Riesling is vinified dry; the documented Rieslaner and Kerner wines show, in part, residual sweetness and Spätlese designations.
Viticulture and vinification
For the vineyards, permanent ground cover, canopy work, repeated yield reduction, selective harvesting and gentle processing of the grapes are specified. Depending on the desired style, the wines can be biologically deacidified, stored on the lees for longer and matured in stainless steel or in wooden casks for up to 24 months. For the area around Zeil, winegrowing is documented from about 1018 by monks of the Bambegg Michelsberg monastery.
