Location and classification
The Sonnenhang is an officially designated single vineyard site in the cadastral district of Ober-Ingelheim in Ingelheim am Rhein. The site belongs to the Bingen sub-region and to the Kaiserpfalz grand cru in Rheinhessen, and covers around 88 hectares.
Orientation and soils
The vineyards run along the slopes of the Mainz mountain from Ober-Ingelheim towards Groß-Winternheim near the Selz. They slope away west-south-west towards the Selz Valley, thereby providing favourable exposure to the sun. Documented are deep, calcareous loam soils from loess over pararendzina, as well as shallow- to medium-depth, very calcareous and stony rendzina soils over limestone.
Geological character
The loess soils have a high capacity for storing water available to plants. Limestone rendzina, by contrast, is characterised by limited water storage. The limestone is connected with tertiary marine deposits from a limestone algae reef; in the soils, fossilised corals and snails have been documented.
Grape varieties and development
At the Sonnenhang, among other varieties, Grauburgunder, Spätburgunder, Chardonnay, Riesling, Portugieser and Dornfelder are grown. The loess and pararendzina areas are associated with fruity, comparatively slender and refreshing wines with a mild acidity, whereas the limestone and rendzina areas produce mineral, chalky and structured wines with balanced acidity. The current site designation was created in 1972 by combining the former vineyards Unft, Füllkeller, Haun and Auf der Platte.
