Location and Classification
The Schloßberg is a legally registered single vineyard site in Hammerstein. It belongs to the Großlage Burg Hammerstein in the Loreley area of the Mittelrhein winegrowing region and extends over the cadastral areas of Niederhammerstein and Oberhammerstein. In the vineyards register, the site is listed under code 320105.
Topography and Soils
The site covers approximately 55 to 210 metres above sea level, is classified as a steep slope site, and is orientated to the south-west. For the vineyards’ slopes, inclines of roughly 30 to 60 percent and a south-south-west exposure are described. The registered soil is made up of stony slate with loam. The geological formations of the Hammerstein Schloßberg include slate rock with numerous layers of sandstone.
Vineyard Area and Wine
The register records 3.2 hectares of vineyard area in Niederhammerstein and 1.7 hectares in Oberhammerstein, making a total of 4.9 hectares. For the Hammerstein Schloßberg, Riesling is documented as a Prädikatswein of the Riesling Kabinett designation. A described Riesling from the site was mineral, clear and fresh; the style is associated with pronounced acidity and freshness.
Heat and Maturation
Darker slate and greywacke in the rocks and vineyard walls store solar heat and release it again at night. For a documented vintage of 2008, the grapes were hand-harvested and selectively sorted, processed without maceration stand time, cool-fermented for 21 days, matured on the lees until February 2009, and ripened reductively.
