Nierstein

PETTENTHAL | VDP.GROSSE LAGE

90 - 170 m in elevation, approx. 70 – 100% gradient, red clay slate, 20.62 classified hectares

The Pettenthal is undoubtedly Nierstein’s most renowned vineyard site and stands shoulder to shoulder with the neighboring Nackenheim Rothenberg. Aspect, slope gradient, and above all the soil composition are remarkably similar. For us, the Pettenthal holds a special significance: it was the first historic vineyard site on the Roter Hang that we cultivated. In the late 1980s, Carolin’s father acquired the first parcels here during one of the region’s most difficult periods. At a time when yields mattered more than great origins, many considered the Pettenthal too steep and too demanding to farm. Today, we cultivate 2.4 hectares in the heart of this exceptional site, including some of the steepest vineyards in Rheinhessen, with slopes reaching up to 100%.

The soils are extremely barren, with only a very thin layer of topsoil in many places, lying directly above exposed bedrock. To access water and nutrients, the vines are forced to root deeply into the soft Rotliegend formation. Since 2005, the vineyards have no longer been irrigated, encouraging the vines to search even deeper for their origin. In dry years, straw mulch helps to preserve moisture in the soil. In retrospect, the acquisition of one of Rheinhessen’s steepest vineyard sites proved to be a stroke of fortune. Here, the Roter Hang reveals its full potential, imparting extraordinary energy and tension to the wines. Then as now, Pettenthal ranks among Germany’s great vineyard sites for dry Riesling.