Location and Classification
Rotenstein is a single vineyard site in the cadastral district of Westhofen, in the Wonnegau area and within the Großlage Bergkloster of Rheinhessen. The vineyards lie at around 140 to 170 metres above sea level and are oriented from the north-east to the east. The 2024 vineyard register lists Rotenstein under code 730117 with 324.9 hectares of planted vineyard area.
Soil and Name
The documented soil type is loess over pararendzina. The calcareous loess deposits form a deep, light loamy soil with clayey silt, a limestone content and a high usable water-retention capacity. The site name has been documented in the form “an dem roden steyne” since 1375 and refers to the reddish colouring of the soil.
Grape Varieties and Wine Style
For this site, Gewürztraminer? [sic] and Scheurebe are documented in producer wines, as well as Spätburgunder in an official regional wine statement from 2008. The regional site profile describes wines from the loess-pararendzina soil as fine-fruited, with notes of yellow fruits, apple, peach, pear and citrus. They have moderate acidity and medium structure and are aimed at early enjoyment. The documented Spätburgunder from 2008 was a dry red wine with a strong, broad-shouldered character, as well as hints of dark berries, dried fruit, damson and fine roasted notes.
Work in the Vineyard and in the Cellar
For a Gewürztraminer? [sic] from the 2024 vintage, the leaves were removed by hand in the fruit zone, the grapes were selectively pre-sorted by hand and ripe, healthy grapes were picked. In the cellar, this was followed by reductive, gentle pressing, controlled fermentation and reductive ageing in a stainless-steel tank; fermentation was ended to preserve natural residual sweetness, after which the wine aged on its lees until shortly before bottling. The Spätburgunder from 2008 was destemmed, fermented open on the skins for six weeks, aged for 18 months in barriques and bottled unfiltered.
