Location and Classification
The Teufelskopf is a single vineyard within the Großlage Vögelsgärten in the Nierstein area. The winegrowing site lies west of Ludwigshöhe and belongs to the cadastral district of the municipality. It forms a bend curving to the southwest around the town and lies in the vineyards belt of the Rhinefront in Rheinhessen.
Area and Topography
The official vineyard directory lists the Teufelskopf under vineyard number 721106 and, for the 2024 harvest vintage, indicates a planted area of 30.1 hectares. The VDP classifies 17.00 hectares as VDP.ERSTE LAGE®; this classification is a private VDP classification and not a statutory German vineyard classification. The exposure ranges from east to southeast. The published slope inclinations, depending on the description, are between 10 and 30 percent or 15 and 25 percent, and the elevation is between 150 and 200 metres above sea level.
Soils and Grape Varieties
The soils include loess, limestone and sandy loam. Also described are a thick loess-loam layer over weathered limestone, a stony subsoil and loess pararendzina, which is calcareous, deep, water-retentive and well rootable. Above all, white grape varieties are represented, including Riesling and Grüner Veltliner. Documented top parcels from a producer are planted with Chardonnay and Weißburgunder.
Wine and History
A documented Silvaner from the Teufelskopf is vinified as a dry white wine and described as spicy, full-bodied and long-lasting. The surrounding landscape is connected with Rudelsheim, a former settlement that disappeared in 1822. A late Baroque cemetery cross near the area commemorates the former location of the village.
