Wine Estate Facts
Region: Franken
Owner: Paul Graf von Schönborn
Estate Size: 28.4 hectares/70 acres
Production: Approx. 10,000 cases
Grapes: Riesling, Silvaner and Müller Thurgau are the most important varietals.
Vineyards Hallburger Schlossberg
Website: http://www.schoenborn.de/Schloss-Hallburg-wine-estate.97.0.html?&L=1
Estate
The wine estate of Schloss Hallburg, located just south of the village of Volkrach, has been owned by the von Schönborn family since 1806. It is an historic property in Franken (Franconia), with the foundation of the castle tower dating back to the year 1000. It is a beautifully romantic setting, with lovely gardens and vineyards surrounding the ancient castle.
With the climate in Franken being diametrically opposed to the great Riesling regions of Germany, Silvaner is an important varietal here. The summers are long and hot with winters being fiercely cold, making this varietal perfectly suited to the growing conditions of this region. The wines from Franken have a certain charm all their own. These are powerful wines with abundant body and structure, yielding complex and intense flavors which are dry and earthy.
The wines from this area can be divided into three broad groups:
• Those from the ‘House Vineyard’ in Hallburger Schlossberg, which favors late-ripening grape varieties (Riesling, Rieslaner, Silvaner and Pinot Noir),
• Those from the slopes surrounding the estate south of the castle in Hallburg, which favors early ripening grape varieties (Müller Thurgau, Bacchus, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Traminer)
• Those from the village of Gaibach, north of Hallburg, where Silvaner, Riesling and Bacchus are grown.
