Location and Classification
Rittersberg is a registered wine-growing site in the municipality of Ilbesheim bei Landau in the wine-growing region of Pfalz. The historic wine-growing site lies on the south-west-facing slope of the Kleine Kalmit.
Soil and Microclimate
For Rittersberg, soils formed from the weathering of limestone are documented. The further wine-growing area of the Kleine Kalmit is described as including Landschneckenkalk, marl, loess and clay; for a Rittersberg single-vineyard wine, a high proportion of loess is also stated. The hillside location belongs to an area that the municipality of Ilbesheim attributes to favourable microclimatic conditions for viticulture.
Historic Vineyard
In 1996, the association Gast and Wein leased a plot measuring 2,900 square metres in the Ilbesheim Rittersberg and established the historic vineyard Kalmitwingert there. The facility shows 19 training systems from antiquity to modern times. Winemakers from Ilbesheim cultivate the shared vineyard year-round. White Burgundy, also known as Pinot blanc, is planted there.
Wines and Maturation
Under the name Ilbesheimer Rittersberg, wines from Riesling, Silvaner, Rivaner, Bacchus, Auxerrois, Grauburgunder, Spätburgunder and Gewürztraminer are documented. These include dry white wines, a semi-dry Bacchus, a sweet Gewürztraminer and a dry red Spätburgunder. Documented wines were fermented and matured in stainless steel tanks; for a Bacchus, selective hand harvesting and temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks are given.
