Scharzhofberger
The legend lives on!
Scharzhofberg is considered as the coolest large site in the Saarland. It’s more than 300 meters high. The slope rises behind the Scharzhof like a mighty wall and the soil is mostly made of gray slate. Scharzhofberg is a prime example of a northern vineyard. The Romans planted vines here in the middle of the third century.
The wines of Scharzhofberger are characterized by their subtlety and delicacy, a striking contrast to the weather-beaten hillside. The cold winds from the Hunsrück regularly sweep over the hill to ensure good ventilation of the vines. The extreme temperature differences between day and night are balanced by the high proportion of highly weathered slate soils that store the heat of the sun during the day and release it to the vines at night.
Profile
| Total area | 28.1 hectares of which 6.3 hectares belong to Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier |
| Height | 200–290 meters above the sea level |
| Orientation | South to southeast |
| Inclination | 30–60 % |
| Soils | Very weathered gray slate, some red slate too. At the foot of the slope more fine earth with slightly better water storage capacity. In some places, the topsoil includes some loess and clay |
| Particularities | Scharzhofberger is located in a side valley of the Saar, between the villages of Wiltingen and Oberemmel. Apart from a few plots at the foot of the slope, the site is exposed to the wind. The microclimate is therefore a little cooler than that of other vineyards in the area. As a result, the grapes take longer to soak up the minerals in the soil and ripen later with a distinct aroma and lots of minerality. The harvest is generally finished in November, except for the plots intended for Eiswein. |
| Type of wine | Kabinett and Spätlese wines have subtle and slate-influenced flavors that develop an expressive noble character with bottle aging. The site also produces very sweet Auslese, Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese with enormous aging potential. |