Hohnart
Hohnart, a small hill at the bottom of the Steigerwald was documented as an important vineyard of Castell as early as 1266. Following the first planting of the Silvaner grape in Castell in 1659, the Hohnart vineyard became a single variety vineyard over the centuries until, in 1832, Riesling vines were introduced on its warm southern slopes.
Nowadays, the terroir is shared by the two grape varieties. The soil is characterised by deep Keuper Soil with green Schilfsandstein (reef sandstone), which allows for moisture and minerals to remain in the soil, in spite of potential summer droughts and its wind exposed location. Thus, this optimal environment allows for high temperatures during the day, which cool down with the evening winds and colder temperatures during the night. The winds also quickly dry the healthy grapes following morning mist and summer rains. These conditions allow the grapes to stay on the vines for a long time until they reach optimal ripeness and allow them to retain a perfect level of acidity.
In addition to the age of the vines, these conditions produce Silvaner and Riesling wines that are bursting with full and fruity aromas, a dense structure and spicy minerals. Frequently, hints of oriental spices and ripe fruit such as bananas and apricots can be detected.
