Location and Classification
Rabenkopf is an officially designated single vineyard (Einzellage) in the cadastral district of Wackernheim. It belongs to the Bingen winegrowing region and the Kaiserpfalz region in Rheinhessen. In the official directory of wine-growing sites for 2024, the site is assigned to the town of Ingelheim am Rhein and is listed with a planted vineyard area of 1.0 hectares.
Topography and Soil
The vineyards are located on a hilltop at an altitude of 140 to 210 metres and face east-northeast. The soil type recorded is sand/Rigosol: a deep, calcareous sandy soil that was formed during the Ice Ages from calcareous dust and sand deposited by the wind. The soil has a medium level of usable water storage, very good aeration and root penetration, a medium to good capacity for warming, and generally adequate nutrient levels.
Wine Style
The site profile assigns Rabenkopf more to red wines than to white wines. It describes fruit intensity, depth, soft acidity, a dense structure and early approachability. The wines benefit from further ripening; in addition, balance and complexity are named as characteristic features. The warmth of the site is associated with the development of thick berry skins.
Name and Wine Law
The name Rabenkopf refers to the site on a hilltop and to the fact that the area was used by ravens as a nesting place. In the official directory of wine-growing sites for Rhineland-Palatinate, Rabenkopf is entered under the single-vineyard number 710335.
