Location and classification
Stein is a legally registered single vineyard site in the district of Bechtheim. It is located in the winegrowing region of Wonnegau and belongs to the Großlage Pilgerpfad in Rheinhessen. The vineyard sites directory lists the Bechtheim site of Stein for the year 2024 as having a planted area of 95.7 hectares.
Aspect and soils
The site is oriented towards the southeast. Its soils consist of loess and clay with high humus content, with clayey silt, lime and smaller stones. Mapped are loess over pararendzina as well as loess over kolluvisol.
Soil profiles and wine style
The loess-pararendzina profile is described as a deep, calcareous loam with good water retention available to plants and good root penetration. The wines from these areas are associated with yellow fruits, apple, peach, pear and citrus, as well as moderate acidity and medium body. The humus-rich loess-kolluvisol has very good root penetration; wines resulting from this are described with buffered acidity, as well as notes of yellow fruits, apple, pear, peach, chalk and smoke, which become more pronounced with ripeness.
Grape varieties and history
Pinot grape varieties are considered particularly well suited to the site; in addition, other grape varieties are grown. Documented wines from Bechtheimer Stein include Weißburgunder, Spätburgunder and Cabernet Sauvignon. A technical data sheet cites the first documentation of the wine site around 1500.
