A VDP.GROSSE LAGE on the Steep Slate of Bopparder Hamm

Mandelstein

Mandelstein sits on the left bank of the Rhine about two kilometres downstream of Boppard, near the middle of the Bopparder Hamm, the sweeping river loop below the town. The VDP classifies it as a VDP.GROSSE LAGE, the association's top tier, alongside a small number of neighbouring Bopparder Hamm sites such as Engelstein and An der Rabenlei. The dry wine from it therefore carries the Grosses Gewächs (GG) designation, which the VDP reserves for its Grosse Lage.

Geography and mesoclimate

The vineyard faces south to south-southeast and covers roughly 11 to 13 hectares, rising from around 70 up to about 170 metres above sea level, with the foot of the slope only 50 to 80 metres from the water. The gradient is severe, reaching close to 70 percent (near 35 degrees) in its steepest reaches, which places Mandelstein among the steepest cultivated vineyards in Germany and Europe. The Hunsrück and Taunus uplands shelter the bend, while the Rhine reflects light and holds warmth. Combined with slate that radiates absorbed heat back into the canopy, these conditions give a long growing season in one of Germany's warmer wine regions.

Geology

Mandelstein lies on Devonian clay-slate. The estates that farm it describe the specific rock as Kieselgallenschiefer, a finely weathered slate carrying siliceous nodules, or almond-shaped inclusions, that show through as greenish fragments in the soil. Those almond-like inclusions are the reference behind the vineyard's name, Mandelstein, meaning "almond stone." The dry, stony profile forces vines to root deeply, which the growers credit for the wines' mineral drive and longevity.

The wines

Mandelstein is planted predominantly to Riesling. Bottlings span the full range, from dry Grosses Gewächs through the Prädikat ladder of Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese, and on to nobly sweet Trockenbeerenauslese in suitable years. Matthias Müller describes the dry wine in terms of citrus and stone fruit over a core of "liquid slate," with a herb-spiced, mineral, elegant character and marked juiciness and tension. The site's heat and old vines allow full ripeness while the slate preserves acidity, the balance that underpins the wines' capacity to age.

Producers

Weingut Matthias Müller of Spay is the VDP member on the site and the producer of its Grosses Gewächs, drawn from the estate's oldest parcel directly beneath a stone wall and worked entirely by hand. The estate reports that this wine was named best dry steep-slope Riesling ("Bester Steillagen-Riesling trocken") at Best of Riesling 2026.

Several Boppard families also bottle Mandelstein under the traditional Prädikat system. Weingut August Perll offers a spread of Mandelstein Rieslings including Auslese and old-vine ("Alte Reben") selections. Weingut Walter Perll bottles a Mandelstein Auslese. Weingut Didinger farms the site as one of its three Boppard vineyards, alongside Fässerlay and Feuerlay. Weingut Adolf Weingart is among the older Boppard estates that have drawn Riesling from the slope.

This comprehensive guide is part of the WineSaint Wine Region Guide collection. Last updated: September 2026.