TERROIR

The vineyards of our Castell homeland in the Steigerwald are shaped by gypsum keuper — Franken’s “other” Triassic terroir. It is named for the epoch in which this layered mixture of colored sandstone, fossil limestone and keuper was created. Our extraordinary, mineral-rich gypsum keuper is found in this form exclusively on the extreme eastern edge of the Franken winegrowing region and shapes the stylistics of Castell wine in the most positive of ways. Paired with other aspects of the Castell sites, the gypsum keuper lends our wines a priceless boon: ageability. As the cornerstone of our modern winegrowing philosophy, it forces us to constantly hone and re-hone our craft, even as we exercise patience while the wines mature into their full potential.

Of the seven VDP classified single sites surrounding Castell, five are monopole sites, in some cases over 750 years old and planted with vines that have borne witness to a half-century of viticulture. The CASTELLER SCHLOSSBERG, classified as a VDP.GROSSE LAGE, towers high above the town. Four VDP.ERSTE LAGE sites — HOHNART, KUGELSPIEL, TRAUTBERG and REITSTEIG — are also exclusively in our possession. They are joined by KIRCHBERG and BAUSCH, two additional VDP.ERSTE LAGE sites. We are proud and protective of each of these remarkable vineyards, which ring the winegrowing town of Castell.

We build on the power of our soils, dominated by gypsum keuper; on the consistency of our sites; and on the cellarability and brilliance of Silvaner. It all starts with the vineyards. These precious soils are, after all, the foundation of all our creation. Passing them on in good health to the generations to follow is our central mission, achieved through an approach that is consistently low intervention and which promotes tremendous respect for nature’s own power. It is a path that acknowledges the role that active soil plays in keeping our vines healthy, and which focuses on a cycle of sustainability that promotes health and vitality of the nutrients, microorganisms and microbes and delivers ideal volumes of nutrients and water. Exposition, elevation, composition of the soil and vineyard slope all play a decisive role in making each site distinctive and different, despite a separation of little more than a few hundred meters. The challenge of grasping these nuances and conveying them into the bottle drives us year for year and vintage for vintage.

The first Silvaner vines were planted in Castell in 1659, referred to in the official ledger as “25 Austrian cuttings.” No other estate can claim longer first-hand experience with Silvaner than the Fürstlich Castell’sche Domänenamt. Long a local favorite, it is today known far and wide for its highly distinctive dry white wines of tremendous aging potential. Years of tasting mature bottles from the Fürstlich cellar has taught us this: Silvaner does indeed age beautifully. Time, we believe, is an indispensable component in drawing out the very best from gypsum keuper Silvaners. No doubt, we are smitten. Silvaner sits at the hub of our work, especially on CASTELLER SCHLOSSBERG, our monopole VDP.GROSSE LAGE that is exclusively planted with this variety. Yet magnificent bottles of Silvaner are also produced in the VDP.ERSTE LAGE sites HOHNART, KUGELSPIEL and TRAUTBERG. The tension in Silvaner can be witnessed in the ways in which the smallest nuances in soil and site are clearly reflected in the wine. Certainly Silvaner is never boring.

We never tire of exploring new facets of this remarkable variety.

Above all else, our family is focused on long-term strategies and synergies built around a lo-fi approach. It should come as no surprise that forestry, which we have been pursuing roughly as long as viticulture, plays a key role in this. It certainly presents no less of a challenge in this age of climate change. Our oaks grow in our forests around Castell, on the same terroir as our vines. The fine-pored structure of the wood we use to build our wooden casks emerges through the ancient artisanal traditions of our region, and perfectly supports the slow maturation of our wines. Our winegrowing and forestry come together in a philosophy of minimal intervention and a pragmatic orientation toward a sustainable future.