Location and Single Vineyard Site
Steingässle is a legally recognised single vineyard site in the wine-growing region Baden. The designation is associated with Efringen-Kirchen and Wittlingen; Kandern also documents a vineyard area under the name Steingässle.
Soil and Grape Varieties
The site associated with Kandern lies in an upper hillside position. It grows on Jurassic limestone, which is covered by layers of loess clay. For Steingässle, among others, Gutedel, Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner, Blauer Spätburgunder and Regent are documented.
Spätburgunder and Maturation
Spätburgunder from Steingässle is described as having firm tannin and fine acidity. At the same time, notes of cherry, berries, herbs and spices develop. Selected, destemmed grapes are fermented on the skins for two to three weeks and then aged for about 15 to 18 months in small French oak barrels. Afterwards, the wine is stored in stainless steel and bottled without filtration.
Name and Wine-Growing History
The name Steingässle goes back to an old hollow lane that, before the land consolidation in the mid-1950s, led uphill from the church. Wine-growing in the local area associated with the Kandern Steingässle has been documented since 1196; according to municipal information, cultivation probably began a few decades earlier.
