Bacharach-Steeg's south-facing Grosse Lage above the Münzbach

St. Jost

St. Jost is one of four Bacharach sites that the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter classifies at its highest tier, VDP.GROSSE LAGE, alongside Wolfshöhle, Posten and Hahn. What sets it apart from nearly every other Grosse Lage on the Mittelrhein is its geography: it does not sit on the Rhine itself but withdraws into the Steeger Valley, roughly one kilometre from the river, above the village of Bacharach-Steeg. The name honours Saint Jodocus, known locally as Jost, a Breton pilgrim saint venerated along the medieval Rhine.

Exposure and slope

The vineyard climbs a steep, south-facing slope inclined toward the Münzbach, the small stream that runs below it. The regional register and the VDP both describe the site as oriented to the south (nach Süden ausgerichtet), with a gradient near 60 percent and vines set between roughly 170 and 200 metres above sea level; some estate parcels reach lower, toward 120 metres. That southern aspect is documented by the official sources rather than by any one producer, which matters here because St. Jost sits back in a side valley and loses the Rhine's broad water surface as a moderating buffer. The site leans instead on its own steepness and orientation to ripen Riesling, and the steepness confines all work to hand labour.

Geology

The foundation is Devonian clay and black slate. Its distinguishing feature is the sand that runs through it: the slate is criss-crossed with sand veins, and the surface carries a layer of wind-blown sand (Flugsand) deposited by volcanic eruptions in the Neuwied Basin more than 10,000 years ago. Producers credit these sand inclusions with softening the acid structure into something balanced and harmonious, distinct from the region's pure-slate sites.

The character of the slate itself is firmer than the Bacharach norm. Weingut Toni Jost, which farms the site, describes the clay slate at St. Jost as carrying distinct greywacke inclusions that bring "more steeliness and barrenness" to the wine. This is a harder, more austere geological signature, not a soft or clay-dominated one, and it is part of why the site's wines are built for the long haul.

Producers

Three Bacharach estates bottle Riesling from St. Jost. Weingut Ratzenberger, whose home lies in Bacharach-Steeg directly below the slope, treats Steeger St. Jost as one of its signature single-vineyard wines, working a holding of about two hectares planted to roughly 10,000 vines. Weingut Toni Jost bottles a St. Jost Riesling and counts the site among its Bacharach parcels. Weingut Baer produces a Riesling from the Steeger St. Jost site as well. The vineyard is planted essentially in full to Riesling.

In the glass

The wines are made to age. Ratzenberger characterises its St. Jost Riesling by a delicate mineral tone, clear and defined fruit, and a mellow melt, noting the site's long maturation potential. Baer describes its Steeger St. Jost bottling as showing a fine yellow-green colour with aromas of peach compote, citrus, apples and pears, carried on the palate by a well-balanced acid structure, gentle melt and a distinctive slate minerality. Across both estates the pattern holds: fruit framed by firm slate and the harmonising influence of the site's sand veins, in Rieslings built for years in the cellar.

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