Location and single vineyard
The Schenkenberg is a vineyard site in Esslingen am Neckar in the wine-growing region Württemberg. The single vineyard belongs to the Remstal-Stuttgart area and extends towards the Esslingen old town.
Terraces and soils
The terraced vineyards show slope gradients between 25 and 70 percent. The site is predominantly oriented to the south; the further course runs from west-southwest to south-southeast. A natural, level band of Stubensandstein divides the vineyard into a lower and an upper section. Coloured marl lies below, while heavy knobbed marl dominates above. The upper section has good water-retention capacity.
History and cultivation
A substantial part of the terraces was laid out around 1220 according to the description by the Kusterer estate and is assigned to the Staufer period. The historical division into smaller plots shapes the site; Kusterer cultivates 50 single plots there. The steep terrain makes work difficult. The 60-percent slopes in the upper area are cultivated almost exclusively by hand. The upper plot Herzogen also has a slope of 60 percent, is planted with Blue Zweigelt and has deep, clayey marl.
Varieties and wines
At the Schenkenberg, among others Lemberger, Blue Zweigelt, Spätburgunder, Merlot, Trollinger and Riesling are documented. The listed wines include a Lemberger matured in barrique from the marl soils of Esslingen. In addition, wines from Teamwerk Esslingen made from Merlot, Grauburgunder and Pinot Noir as well as red cuvées are documented; the Merlot matured in wood.
