Situation and landscape
The Black Lord God near Zellertal is a wine-growing site classified as VDP.GROSSE LAGE® in the Palatinate. The south-facing slope lies at around 170 to 250 metres above sea level and has a gradient of roughly 20 percent.
Climate and soils
Donnersberg protects the site in the west. This makes very dry summers possible; according to the VDP, the annual rainfall is around 400 millimetres. The south slope warms up quickly, which can favour early budding and a long ripening period. Valley mist and late frosts reach the site only rarely. The location is described as a limestone plateau with stony, light and porous limestone, calcareous marl, marl-stone and heavy loamy marl layers.
Vines and cultivation
As a classified grape variety, Riesling is listed. The terraced, steeply sloping terrain and the stony soils make cultivation comparatively labour-intensive. A documented small parcel near the wayside cross is planted with Scheurebe vines aged about 60 years. The vines grow densely, are surrounded by a limestone wall and are cultivated entirely by hand. The Scheurebe was picked by hand in 2021; the old vines produced only a small amount of grapes.
History and wines
The Black Lord God gets its name from a distinctive wayside cross. The VDP records winegrowing there as early as around 700 AD by monks who were associated with Philipp von Zell. The associated monastery developed into an important medieval pilgrimage monastery; the site is also located on the historic pilgrim route of St James between Speyer and Worms. A documented Riesling from the Schwarzer Herrgott is classified as dry and as a German Qualitätswein. For the documented Scheurebe, eight hours of cold maceration were carried out, spontaneous fermentation with whole grapes in a used barrique, twelve months on full lees in wood, followed by a further year of bottle ageing.
