"The Harzenleiten vineyard is the name for the mountain slope of the Michaelerberg, the south-east slopes of which are used for viticulture.
Significant loess deposits have accumulated in several areas, offering a good nutrient supply and lending the wines fullness and power. Weathered paragneiss provides complexity and structure, and on the more barren sites, Riesling demonstrates its quality with very delicate wines."
The geological substratum in the Harzenleiten consists of paragneiss and in the west, of diorite gneiss. Due to the south-east orientation, a so-called leeward location existed during the glaciations, which led to the deposition of a thick layer of loess.
The profile shows a soil composed of relocated loess. Slightly below the middle of the profile, the material is strongly mixed with sandy, stony paragneiss material. The large weathered amphibolites witness to profound translocation on the slope and to mixing with local rock material. The addition of gneiss material made the soils lighter and reduced their carbonate content.