Serrig Schloss Saarsteiner is a classified Monopol Site of the VDP.

The 24-acre vineyard at SCHLOSS SAARSTEIN enjoys the perfect conditions for growing the Riesling grape, it is situated on a steep hillside facing south to south-west and it has a black slatey soil. The Saar river moderates the coldest temperatures and the forested hills above SCHLOSS SAARSTEIN protect the vineyard from cold winds. The microclimate of the valley and the hillsides is therefore excellent for the growth of great Rieslings. Vines from 10 to 60 years old are rooted deeply to bring moisture and minerals from beneath the barren soil. The vines give very low yields of intensely flavoured grapes, which are then hand-picked.

The owner winemaker at SCHLOSS SAARSTEIN is Christian Ebert. He takes care of the vineyards and is responsible for the cellar work and so for the quality of the wines. Christian Ebert´s philosophie: extended ripeness, healthy grapes. That´s why he is not supporting too much of botrytis, but selecting very carefully  noble rot wines up to TBA  in the exceptional  vintages like in 2005.
The typical character of SCHLOSS SAARSTEIN wines is elegant steeliness balanced with crisp fruit. Production is concentrated on the one vineyard surrounding the Schloss with great emphasis on strict selection when hand-picking. The wines are then carefully treated in stainless steel to help maintain each wine’s own character.

Facts and figures

Manager: Christian Ebert

Oenologist: Christian Ebert

Viticulturalist: Christian Ebert

Sales: Andrea Ebert

Size: 24 acres

Annual production: 5000 cs

Soil: slaty

Variety: 90 % Riesling, 9 % Pinot Blanc, 1% others

Average yield: 5000 l/hectare

Row spacing: 1,40 - 1,70 m

Trellising system: 1943 vines: traditional pole, rest vertical shoot positioned trellis

Average age of vines: 25 years

Harvest technique: selective hand picking

Cellar technique: soft press, long setting of the must to have a quite clear juice, fermentation of sweet wines with wild yeast, dry wines with cultivated yeast in stainless steel

History

In 1907 Saarstein had been founding member of the GROSSER RING and belonged to the leading estates of the region. 50 years ago Christian´s father bought the estate, and startet a new era of success after the damages of the war. Christian Ebert studied at Geisenheim and is responsible for the cellar since 1986. Andrea Ebert, from the Wirsching Wine Family at Frankonia, came to the Saar in 1993. They have three children.