Vineyard site : Ungeheuer Forst

Grape varieties cultivated

Riesling

Geographic situation

120-170 m above sea level
A south and south-east facing vineyard, 60% of it slopes up towards the edge of the forest, 40% is flat. According to the classification based on land tax legislation introduced by the Bavarian monarchy in 1828, the 'UNGEHEUER' vineyards are to the absolute fore in the Palatinate region. We therefore grow our 'Großes Gewächs' (Grand Cru) wines in these vineyards.

Soil structure

Coloured sandstone with limestone outcrops and basalt

Total area

29.15 hectares (73.8 US acres)

Origin of name

An anecdote says that Bismarck very much appreciated the wine from the 'Ungeheuer' vineyards (the name literally meaning 'very big monster'). He is reported to have said: 'Dieses Ungeheuer schmeckt mir ungeheuer' (This monster tastes monstrously good.) But in fact the name goes back to the name of a person: There was once a municipal clerk called J.A. Ungeheuer in Deidesheim

Wine features

Due to their location in the middle of a slope, the 'Ungeheuer' vineyards are sheltered from winds coming from the west and thus the grapes can ripen extremely well. The vines here usually flower earlier than those in other vineyard sites and the Riesling grapes regularly mature earlier too. The wines show a fine fruitiness (peaches, apricots, pineapples) with a harmonious mineral note and are often enormously rich and full-bodied. Our best 'Großes Gewächs' (Grand Cru) wines stem from this vineyard, a site which also - whenever the weather conditions are appropriate - provides us with our elegant, naturally sweet wines.