CLIMATE
Because Germany is located in the temperate zone of Central Europe our grapes are given enough time to mature. This is the basis for unique wine-qualities, especially for the qualities of white wines, such as Riesling or Pinot varieties. Bad Kreuznach is one of the sunniest and climatically mildest regions in Germany because the Nahe Valley is one of the foothills of the upper Rhenish Rift – maritime climate prevails.
The wines benefit from the Mediterranean climate, the average rainfall is 568mm and the temperature is 9.5° Celsius.
VINEYARD SITES
KREUZNACHER PARADIES
A small part of the Bosenheimer vineyard area is located on the Bosenberg, which belongs to the Nahe. Today's Kreuznacher Paradies was formerly divided into Kreuznacher Honigberg and Kreuznacher Hirtenhain and is one of the best locations on the Lower Nahe. It was created by a fault in the primordial sea from the Ice Age, the floors are clay marl with a layer of shells and snail shells. The total area is 44.5 hectares and is 120 to 180 meters above sea level.The Kreuznacher Paradise is the sunniest location, the slopes have an incline of up to 40% and face south-east.
KREUZNACHER ROSENBERG
The largest part of Bosenheim's vineyard area, 405 hectares, is accounted for by today's Kreuznacher Rosenberg, formerly Kreuznacher Hoellenbrand, Kreuznacher Galgenberg and Kreuznacher Tilgesbrunnen. High-quality wines have always grown here, the soil spectrum is diverse, heat-storing terrace gravel, stony-sandy water-storing loam and clay marl create the basis for the cultivation of a wide variety of white and red wine grape varieties. The Kreuznacher Rosenberg is relatively flat at 120 to 180 meters above sea level and opens out on slopes to the south to south-west in the direction of Bad Kreuznach with a gradient of around 30%.
SOIL TYPES
As it is typical for the whole wine - region Nahe we also have different soil types in our vineyards. The soils of our vineyard sites Kreuznacher Kronenberg, Kreuznacher Rosenberg and Kreuznacher Galgenberg are heat - storing terrace covers or deep, water-storing clay. The soils of the steeper southern slopes, called Kreuznacher Paradies at the Bosenberg, are characterized by naturally occurring shell limestone and mineralized clay marl.
Wines from the terrace covers are full - bodied with lively acidity, wines from clay soils are fruity, aromatic and mature. Wines from marl have a harmonious balance of body, fruit and acidity. Tertiary - marine levels in Kreuznacher Paradies contain marl with shells and snail shells. This natural enrichment produces a particularly delicate flavor profile and a fine minerality on certain grapes.
VINIFICATION
Already the planting of our vines has a profound effect on the quality of our wines - the choice of the appropriate vineyard for a certain variety of grape is crucial. Professional grapevine pruning, as well as considerate, ecosensitive year - round cultivation, quantity-regulatory as well as quality-promoting measures have the most positive effect on the harvest in autumn. Healthy, ripe grapes form the basis for our aromatic wines. Gentle cellar technology and slow, well - controlled fermentation preserve the facetes of the year. After the harvest, our whole family is involved in the maturation of our high - quality estate wines. Primary sensory tests and laboratory analyses are done directly after the grapes have been pressed. Our products are fruity, elegant white wines, fresh rosé wines, as well as full - bodied, harmonious red wines. At present, we grow the following grapes for white wine on 15 ha vineyards in the Nahe - valley, which are typical of the region:
Riesling (45%), Weißer Burgunder / Pinot Blanc (10%), Grauer Burgunder / Pinot Gris (6%), Silvaner, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Scheurebe, Rivaner / Müller - Thurgau, Kanzler.
Muskat - Ottonel constitutes a rare exception which is nontypical of the region. This type of grape was brought into our family’s winery by Roland Mees’ grandfather Heinrich Mees when he was a young man. Heinrich Mees was the last mayor of Bosenheim before the village was incorporated by Bad Kreuznach in 1969. Till this day, a small stock of the grape is still being preserved. Today, Muskat - Ottonel sweet, still enjoys great popularity. Our harmonic, full - bodied red wines are carefully fermented on the mash and are oak - cask matured and barriques.
We cultivate the following red - wines:
Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir (8%), Portugieser and Dunkelfelder.
SPARKLING WINES - TRADITIONAL BOTTLE FERMENTATION
For our expressive sparkling wines, we only use well - chosen wines from our vineyeards, which ferment and mature inside the bottle for at least nine months. In the course of the ripening process the bottles are shaken and disgorged by hand - traditional bottle fermentation.