The Saarstein Castle winery sits high above Serrig, a wine village on the upper Saar River. The owner is Christian Ebert, a passionate winemaker and hunter. His father, Dieter Ebert, a farmer from Brandenburg, bought the old hunting lodge in 1956 after losing his property in the war. Thus, a farmer became a winegrower – from beets to vines, so to speak! The winery was built between 1904 and 1908 by a Trier industrialist who wanted to fulfill his dream of owning a winery. He was immediately successful, as the winery was already one of the most renowned wine producers in the region 100 years ago and was consequently a founding member of the Großer Ring in Trier, from which the VDP (Association of German Prädikatswein Estates) Mosel-Saar-Ruwer later emerged. After studying viticulture at the renowned Geisenheim University of Applied Sciences, Christian Ebert took over the business from his father in 1995 and gradually began to discover the unique Saarstein terroir. The winery is located on the edge of the Saarburg Kammerforst, on the top of a south-southwest facing hill, the Serriger Schloss Saarsteiner VDP. Große Lage. The winery's own panoramic terrace high above the Saar River and vineyards offers a unique backdrop for lavish celebrations, as it boasts perhaps the most beautiful view of the Saar. From here, the owner Christian Ebert enjoys the view over his steep vineyards, which adjoin the castle directly, giving it a true "Château character". In total, Schloss Saarstein owns 11 hectares of vineyards, 95% of which are Riesling. The other 5% are distributed among Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Auxerrois. For Christian Ebert, the age of the vines plays a crucial role in the quality of the wine, as he is convinced that old vines with their naturally loose-berried, highly aromatic grapes produce better wines. He knows practically all of his vines by their first names, because he has been caring for his Saarsteiner Riesling vines with dedication and passion since his earliest childhood. "Man shapes the mountain and the mountain shapes man – and I live in the middle of it!" This is the philosophy of Christian Ebert. And with success, because for over 25 years, according to the business newspaper "Handelsblatt" and the specialist magazine "Vinum", Schloss Saarstein winery has been counted among the 100 best wineries in Germany, alongside such famous names as Egon Müller or Joh. Jos. Prüm.



"The advantage of large differences between day and night temperatures"

In the vineyard, Christian Ebert focuses on viticulture that is as close to nature as possible, forgoing the use of insecticides and artificial fertilizers. However, he does not aim for organic certification, because there are always years, like 2016 or 2014, when the Commented [MK5]: Use a different picture from the photoshoot!
Fungal pressure is so high as a result of the humid and warm weather in summer that its use is essential. Otherwise, the Saarsteiner vines benefit from a unique microclimate with high day-night temperature differences. On the one hand, due to the good exposure and the reflection of the sun from the Saar River, we have high daytime temperatures, which are stored in the grey slate soils during the day. On the other hand, the adjacent forest and the Serriger Bachtal ensure that cool valley winds from the Saarburger Kammerforst and the nearby high forest significantly cool the grape zone at night. As a result of the intensive sunlight, we have good sugar and thus aroma formation in the grapes during the day, which can also be stored in the grapes due to the comparatively cool temperatures at night. In addition, the cold nights ensure the preservation of acidity, as this is mainly metabolized by the vine at warmer night temperatures. The result is grapes with pronounced citrus notes and a piquant, ripe acidity. These are selectively hand-picked in autumn and brought whole to the press, where they are pressed directly. The wine is made with native yeasts in the cool winery cellar in stainless steel tanks. The wines remain on the fine yeast for a long time before being bottled.



"Classic Saar Rieslings in the best sense!"

The Schloss Saarstein wines deserve the label: Classic Saar! They are brimming with elegance and captivate with their delicate fruit and distinctly smoky slate minerality. The piquant acidity ensures that the wines have an incredible drinkability. The Schloss Saarstein Kabinett, for example, is delicately dry, the ideal terrace wine for summer, as its low alcohol content and refreshing aroma are a true blessing during the tropical summer temperatures of recent years. Besides magnificent delicately dry wines, Saarstein also produces outstanding dry and noble-sweet Rieslings, all of which, thanks to their classic winemaking, possess immense aging potential!

Im Weinberg setzt Christian Ebert dabei auf einen möglichst naturnahen Weinbau und verzichtet dabei auf den Einsatz von Insektiziden und Kunstdünger. Eine Bio-Zertifizierung strebt er allerdings nicht an, denn es kommen immer wieder Jahre, wie zuletzt 2016 oder auch 2014,
in denen der Pilzdruck in Folge der feuchtwarmen Witterung im Sommer so hoch ist, dass der Einsatz von unerlässlich ist. Die Saarsteiner Reben profitieren ansonsten von einem einzigartigen Mikroklima mit hohen Tag-Nacht-Unterschieden. Zum einen haben wir durch die gute Exposition und die Reflexion der Sonne von der Saar hohe Tagestemperaturen, die von den Grauschieferböden tagsüber gespeichert werden. Zum anderen sorgen der angrenzende Wald sowie das Serriger Bachtal dafür, dass kühle Fallwinde aus dem Saarburger Kammerforst und aus dem nahgelegenen Hochwald die Traubenzone nachts signifikant abkühlen. Infolge der intensiven Sonneneinstrahlung haben wir hier tagsüber eine gute Zucker- und damit auch Aromabildung in den Trauben, welche durch die vergleichsweise kühlen Temperaturen in der Nacht auch in den Trauben eingelagert werden können. Zudem sorgen die kalten Nächte für einen Erhalt der Säure, da diese hauptsächlich durch wärmere Temperaturen bei Nacht von der Rebe verstoffwechselt wird. Ergebnis sind Trauben mit ausgeprägten Zitrusnoten und einer pikanten, reifen Säure. Diese werden im Herbst selektiv von Hand gelesen und im Ganzen auf die Kelter gebracht, wo sie direkt abgepresst werden. Der Ausbau erfolgt mit natureigenen Hefen im kühlen Weingutskeller in Edelstahltanks. Hier bleiben die Weine lange auf der Feinhefe, ehe sie gefüllt werden.

Die Schloss Saarstein Weine verdienen das Prädikat: Klassisch Saar! Sie strotzen nur so voller Eleganz und ziehen einen mit ihrer feinen Frucht und ausgeprägt rauchigen Schiefermineralität in ihren Bann. Dabei sorgt insbesondere die pikante Säure dafür, dass die Weine einen ungeheuerlichen Trinkfluss haben. So ist der Schloss Saarsteiner Kabinett feinherb, der ideale Terrassenwein für den Sommer, denn sein geringer Alkohol sowie seine erfrischende Aromatik ist eine wahre Wohltat bei den tropischen Sommertemperaturen der letzten Jahre. Neben grandiosen feinherben Weinen entstehen auf Saarstein aber auch großartige trockene sowie edelsüße Rieslinge, die allesamt aufgrund ihrer klassischen Ausbauart auch über ein immenses Reifepotenzial verfügen!