A VDP.Grosse Lage for Lemberger on Untertürkheim's Gypsum Keuper

Mönchberg

The Mönchberg rises above Stuttgart-Untertürkheim on the slopes that climb from the Neckar. It is one of the oldest documented vineyards in Württemberg and one of the region's most highly rated red-wine sites. The name translates as "monk's hill," pointing to the ecclesiastical ownership that preceded the ducal House of Württemberg, which has farmed vineyards here since the 17th century.

Site and Soil

Untertürkheim is a district of Stuttgart, and the Mönchberg sits directly behind it inside the sheltered Stuttgart valley basin, within sight of the Neckar. The slopes face broadly south, running from southeast through south to southwest, and rise from roughly 140 to 260 meters, reaching gradients of up to about 60 percent on the steepest parcels.

The ground is Gipskeuper, the gypsum-bearing Keuper marl that underlies most of Stuttgart's finest sites, mixed with lighter marl and weathered, stony loam. Because the slopes are steep, the layer of weathered topsoil stays thin over the marl beneath. The sheltered aspect combined with warm, water-retentive marl encourages early budbreak and dependable ripening, which is what Württemberg's late-ripening reds require to finish a cool-climate season.

Classification

The Mönchberg is a VDP.GROSSE LAGE, the top rung of the VDP classification, listed as such in the association's official register. Dry wines from the site carry the VDP.GROSSES GEWÄCHS (GG) designation. The Einzellage itself is large by Württemberg standards, covering somewhere between roughly 50 and 60 hectares depending on the register consulted, and the Grosse Lage status attaches to delimited parcels within it rather than to the whole hillside. It is not a monopole: several estates hold and bottle Untertürkheimer Mönchberg.

Grapes and Growers

Riesling and Lemberger are the site's signature grapes, and Lemberger, the Württemberg name for Blaufränkisch, is the variety most bound up with its reputation. Spätburgunder, Grauburgunder and Gewürztraminer are also grown on the marl.

The dominant historic owner is Weingut Herzog von Württemberg, the estate of the ducal house, which farms about 7.5 hectares in the Mönchberg and has held vineyards here since 1671. Its flagship from the site is an Untertürkheimer Mönchberg Lemberger GG, made alongside Spätburgunder. Weingut Rainer Schnaitmann, the VDP estate based in neighbouring Fellbach, also farms the Mönchberg and counts it among its Grosse Lage sites, working it chiefly for Lemberger. The local cooperative, Weinmanufaktur Untertürkheim, draws fruit from the site as well.

The wines that carry the site's name are led by Lemberger. Grown on warm Keuper marl and picked from steep, thin-soiled parcels, it is the grape the GG bottlings are built on, structured and dark-fruited rather than soft. The same warmth and sheltered exposure that suit the reds also let Riesling reach a ripeness that Württemberg's cooler sites can find harder to achieve.

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