Location and Classification
Schloßberg is a legally registered single vineyard in the town and cadastral district Zeltingen-Rachtig in the winegrowing region Mosel. The official vineyard site number is 410509. The 2024 vineyard register lists 19.4 hectares of planted vineyard area. Schloßberg belongs to the Großlage Münzlay.
Topography and Soils
The steep site is predominantly sloped to the south. It begins directly behind the historic core of Zeltingen and stretches up the hillside as far as the ruin Rosenburg. The soil consists of Devonian slate and weathered slate with small to medium-sized pieces of slate, humus-rich fine earth, and weathered slate material. Also described is a relatively thick layer of weathering with humus-rich clay, dark or blue Devonian slate, as well as a good water-retention capacity.
Grape Varieties and Wine Profile
Several producers grow Riesling in Schloßberg; on the Gessinger plots, Pinot Noir is also documented. The wines are associated with firm structure, lively acidity, mineral sustainability, and depending on the plot, a more densely expressed or more full-bodied character. Heinrichshof describes its dry Schloßberg Riesling with elegant fruit, strength, tension, and mineral complexity.
Cultivation and Maturation
In its plot, Heinrichshof documents Riesling vines aged about 40 years and a complete manual harvest in small crates. Gessinger cultivates its vineyards by hand, with permanent natural ground cover, without mechanical opening of the soil, heavy machinery compaction, or additional fertiliser. Heinrichshof’s Schloßberg Riesling ferments slowly in stainless steel until January and then rests for five months on full lees. Maturation is carried out without racking, additives or stabilisation; before bottling, it is gently filtered.
