Location and Classification
Schönhölle is a registered single-vineyard site in the cadastral district of Ockenheim. It belongs to the Bingen area and to the larger site St. Rochuskapelle in Rheinhessen. The officially designated area is 31.0 hectares.
Name, Climate and Soils
The site name has been documented since 1343 as “an der Schienhelden” and is associated with a beautiful slope; “Hölle” in this context refers to a slight incline. The landscape around Ockenheim has less than 500 millimetres of annual rainfall and high summer temperatures.
In Schönhölle, calcareous marl and pararendzina soils, as well as limestone and rendzina soils, occur. The marl soils are deep, calcareous clay soils formed from deposits of the Tertiary Sea, with a high proportion of clay capable of swelling. The limestone soils are shallow to medium-depth, very calcareous, stony sand soils in connection with Tertiary marine deposits of a calcareous algal reef.
Wine Style and Grape Varieties
Wines from the marl and pararendzina soils are described as full-bodied and powerful, with balanced acidity and ripe fruit characteristics. Wines from limestone and rendzina are considered lively, aromatic, mineral and structured, also with balanced acidity. Documented expressions include dry, off-dry, sweet and noble-sweet styles.
For Schönhölle, among others, Silvaner, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Scheurebe are evidenced. A 2023 Ockenheimer Schönhölle Riesling Auslese has been documented with 82.9 grams of residual sugar per litre, 7.2 grams of acidity per litre and 8.5% alcohol.
Cultivation and Maturation
For a 2018 Ockenheimer Schönhölle Roter Traminer Spätlese, handwork in the vineyard, selective harvesting and processing exclusively with fully ripe and healthy grapes are documented. The white grapes were fermented on the skins with an extended maceration time; this resulted in an orange wine.
