Location and Soils
The Musikantenbuckel is a designated wine-growing site in Freinsheim in the Pfalz. The site lies on a hill in front of Freinsheim and is located north of the town. The prevailing soils are light, loamy sands, in places with loess; in the valley sites, the water has an effect. For a documented Cabernet Sauvignon parcel, a well-drained topsoil layer lies over dense, heavy tertiary sands with a high proportion of stones.
Viticulture and Grape Varieties
For the Musikantenbuckel, an area of 186.4 hectares and a yield of 5,700 litres per hectare are given. Documented wines from the site have been produced from Cabernet Sauvignon, Spätburgunder, Merlot, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The wine styles that are represented include dry red wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Spätburgunder and Merlot.
Name and History
The name, originally handed down orally, is reminiscent of travelling musicians from the north-western Pfalz who were called Mackenbacher. They played on the hill when they arrived in Freinsheim or left the town; economic hardship forced them to wander in the 1830s. During land reorganisation, in autumn 2006 late antique graves and four stone sarcophagi from the early fourth century were discovered.
A Cabernet Sauvignon in Production
A documented Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2018 vintage was hand-harvested, cold macerated for 24 hours and fermented for ten days on the skins. After that followed biological acid reduction, twelve months of maturation in French barriques and three months of bottle ageing.
