Riesling Zobinger Heiligenstein Erste Lage
Heiligenstein, the most famous vineyard in the Kamptal, is legendary for Riesling. The terraced south and southwest facing slope has a unique geological history and it's unusual that soil this old is at the surface of the earth. The outcropping bedrock consists of a reddish-brown sandstone with a high feldspar content, coarse conglomerates, and minor siltstone. These sediments formed approximately 250-280 million years ago under arid conditions, in lakes, ponds, and ephemeral rivers. The rocks contain fossilized plants and gravel with clasts of volcanic rhyolite. Loess is only preserved in a few locations, within shallow depressions. Grapes that have achieved perfect ripeness and are botrytis-free are selected by hand and brought to the winery in small crates. The grapes are gently pressed and macerated cold for a few hours before being fermented spontaneously and then matured on the fine lees in 2000 liter wooden casks. Vines are 27 - 62 years-old and are planted between 300 - 340 meters above sea-level.