Reitsteig
Already documented in 1266 under the name ‘Der Stieg’, the Reitsteig is one of the oldest vineyards in Castell. The name derives from an old path, which connected the village with the old castle on the Schlossberg until the 17th Century. It is likely that red wine was already grown on the Reitsteig as early as 1566 as documents exist which discuss red wine cultivation in Castell during that time. Interestingly, correspondence from 1875 show that red wine was commonly given as medical prescription, e.g. to fight, amongst other things, Typhus, and was therefore stored for medical purposes.
Today, the Reitsteig is our best red wine vineyard. The steep gradient of the Southern vineyard encourages intensive sun exposure and high temperatures. The natural formation of the mountain, with its inwards-bend curvature, causes additional collection of warmth. This is needed by the demanding and slowly ripening Pinot Noir to develop its fruitful and full-bodied tannin character.
The clay soil gives the wine its deep and complex aroma while the high amount of chalk encourages its elegant mineral structure. This reflects the vineyards close proximity to the Schlossberg with its Alabaster inclusions.
The traditional fine and elegant characteristics of Pinot Noir come to perfect fruition at the Reitsteig.
The wine is fermented on the must for a long time and aged in small oak barrels to encourage the ripe fruit and mineral flavour to emerge, which results in stability over a long time-period.
