Location and classification
Saukopf is a single vineyard in the cadastral district of Gau-Bickelheim in Rheinhessen. It belongs to the Bingen area and to the Großlage Kurfürstenstück. The official register of wine-growing sites for 2024 lists 94.1 hectares of planted vineyard area. Saukopf forms the lower part of the wine-growing area Wißberg and lies below the site Gau-Bickelheimer Kapelle on the Wißberg slope.
Soil
The documented soil type is marl-pelosol from calcareous, clay-containing deposits of the Tertiary sea. The soils are deep, calcareous and clay-containing, with a high proportion of clay that is able to swell, as well as limited permeability and aeration. At the same time, they are rich in nutrients and strongly calcareous.
Grape varieties and wine style
On Saukopf, among others, Spätburgunder and Chardonnay are grown. Separate dry Saukopf wines are also documented from Chardonnay and Riesling. The marl-pelosol is associated with full-bodied, dense and substantial wines, which show moderate acidity and a fruit-emphasised finish. A further description highlights the interplay of fruit and acidity.
History and vinification
The wine-growing site is documented as early as 1713 under the name “in dem Säukopf”. The regional authority most likely traces the designation back to the Middle High German “seihen” for a gully or a damp place. The organic winery Fischer cultivates its vineyards, including Saukopf, since 2015 according to ecological guidelines and, where possible, works by hand. A documented Saukopf-Chardonnay from a regional producer is dry and characterised by ageing in barrique.
