Kanzemer Altenberg
"We have to love it, this hill."
Dr. Heidi Kegel
The nature of Kanzemer Altenberg is absolutely unique. The south-to-southeast-facing steep slate site looks similar to a wall and is located on the right bank of the Saar, opposite the village of Kanzem.
The imposing slope is optimally protected from the cold north winds. With its proximity to the Saar, the temperatures are neither too high nor too low. The steep slope favors the light and makes the hillside optimal for heat storage.
Profile
| Total area | 18.7 hectares of which 6.7 hectares belong to Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier |
| Height | 140–250 meters above the sea level |
| Orientation | South to southeast |
| Inclination | Up to 85% |
| Soils | Brown, blue-gray, and violet-colored slate. The lower part of the slope is rich in fine soil, while the upper part is stony. Thanks to the excellent drainage, erosion is less of a problem, even with extreme rainfall. The vines grow deeper into the rock over the years and are less susceptible to heat and drought stress. Since the slate flows largely horizontally from the hill, the water supply is good with very good drainage. |
| Type of wine | From lively and light Kabinetts to beautifully structured, mineral, and salty Spätlese wines (in varying degrees of sweetness). All styles are ideal for fermentation with ambient yeasts in oak Fuder. After years of aging in the bottle, the best vintages show the spicy perfume of the hill and its stones in a hot and dry summer day. The nobly sweet wines, from Auslese to Trockenbeerenauslese, have been world-class for decades, such as the captivating Kanzemer Altenberg Beerenauslese 1959. |