Location and designation
The officially registered vineyard designation is Mittelheimer St. Nikolaus. The single vineyard site is located in Oestrich-Winkel in the Rheingau. As a recognised single vineyard designation, it must be supplemented with the municipality or local place name for corresponding wine designations.
Classification and natural conditions
The VDP lists Sankt Nikolaus, Mittelheim as a VDP.GROSSE LAGE® with a classified area of 24 hectares. Riesling and Pinot Noir are classified for the site. The aspect ranges from east-southeast to south-southwest, the altitude from 90 to 110 metres above sea level, and the slope gradient from 5 to 12 per cent.
The soils consist of calcareous loess loam with a proportion of stones and also sandy soils. The southern aspect extends towards the Rhine, which is described as a heat store. The high level of sunshine exposure promotes early bud burst and a long ripening period.
History and cultivation
For a longer period of time, the vineyard site was in the possession of the church and can be identified by a sandstone statue of Saint Nicholas. At the centre of the site there is a parcel of 1,200 square metres with vines about 30 years old, a few metres from the Rhine.
Vinification
Peter Jakob Kühn stores his VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS wines from Sankt Nikolaus for two years in wooden casks.
