Nieder-Flörsheim

FRAUENBERG | VDP.GROSSE LAGE

190 - 240 m in elevation, limestone gravel over solid limestone bedrock, 17.68 classified hectares

“The fascination of Frauenberg lies in its minerality, its dancing lightness, its salinity. Everything revolves around that,” says H.O. Spanier about this exceptional vineyard site in Nieder-Flörsheim. Over the years, he has brought this vineyard back from obscurity and established it as one of Germany’s great Riesling crus. Through decades of work, an ever clearer vision emerged of what Riesling from this landscape can express: less fruit, more tension; less volume, more origin. 

Situated on a south-facing ridge at an elevation of 240 metres above sea level, the vineyard is covered by a calcareous gravel layer, while its subsoil consists of pure limestone bedrock. These conditions provide an ideal environment for the vines, which are regularly exposed to cool winds. Like a natural wind tunnel, the site allows the grapes to ripen slowly and steadily year after year, reaching optimal maturity before being harvested comparatively late. The vineyard takes its name from the women of the monastery that cultivated the site for centuries. First documented in 1290 as “an frauwenhalten”, Frauenberg is deeply rooted in the region’s viticultural history.

“I love this wine for its finesse. The great strength of Frauenberg is its subtlety. It is not a loud wine, it does not need wildness, and it is never contrived. Its extreme restraint is something profoundly comforting in times like these.”

 H.O. Spanier