Summary
Weingut Margarethenhof is a family estate in Ayl on the Saar, south of Trier and only a few kilometres from the Luxembourg border. Since 1986 Jürgen and Dorothee Weber have run the estate in the third generation; with the 2020 vintage their son Nicolas Weber, a trained viticulturist and oenologist, joined the business. Around 20 hectares of vines grow along two very different rivers: on the Saar on slate, where the Riesling from the famous Ayler Kupp comes from, and on the southern Upper Mosel on shell limestone, home to zesty Elbling and full-bodied Pinot varieties. The wines are mostly spontaneously fermented, vegan and made with as little intervention as possible.
History
The Margarethenhof has been family-owned for generations. An exact founding year is not documented; what is certain is that Jürgen and Dorothee Weber took over the estate in 1986 as the third generation. Around the turn of the millennium, in 2000, the estate was extensively expanded and modernised. Since then the family has farmed some of the best vineyard sites in the area and gradually grown the business to its present size of around 20 hectares.
The 2020 vintage brought the fourth generation on board: Nicolas Weber, who holds a B.Sc. in viticulture and oenology, contributes fresh ideas in vineyard and cellar. Under his hand the estate has moved towards a more natural, minimalist style – more time, fewer interventions, spontaneous fermentation – without abandoning the tradition of classic Saar Prädikat wines.
Location & Terroir
Ayl is a small wine village in the Saar valley, which forms part of the Mosel region and ranks among the coolest Riesling areas in Germany. The Margarethenhof’s vineyards are divided almost equally between two rivers with contrasting soils:
- Saar: here Devonian slate defines the steep slopes. The most important site is the Ayler Kupp, a south-facing slate slope regarded as one of the most exciting steep sites of the Saar. The slate stores the warmth of the day and releases it to the vines at night – the basis for mineral, multi-layered Rieslings with racy acidity.
- Southern Upper Mosel: between the mouth of the Saar and the Luxembourg border the bedrock is shell limestone. On these calcareous soils the Pinot varieties thrive and deliver full, creamy wines. The Upper Mosel is also the home of Elbling, which here becomes a zesty, light white wine with a clear limestone imprint.
The cool climate of both river valleys ensures a long growing season and wines with moderate alcohol, clear fruit and vibrant acidity.
Style & Philosophy
The estate’s philosophy comes down to two words: time and working close to nature. In the vineyard the family avoids herbicides, prunes the vines gently and harvests carefully by hand. In the cellar the wines are mostly spontaneously fermented, with little intervention and no animal-derived fining agents – all wines are vegan. The estate is certified under the sustainability standard Fair’n Green.
Stylistically the Margarethenhof covers the full spectrum of the Saar: dry Rieslings with slate minerality and drive, fruity Kabinett wines with residual sweetness, Spätlesen and, in good years, nobly sweet Auslesen. There is also a Saar Riesling sparkling brut. Elbling – marketed as ‘Der Spritzige’ (the zesty one) – is the estate’s uncomplicated summer wine, while Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Auxerrois from limestone show body and creaminess. As a member of Maxime Herkunft Mosel the estate classifies its wines by origin: from estate wine to village wine to single-vineyard wine.
Notable Sites & Wines
- Ayler Kupp Riesling – the heart of the estate: dry as a single-vineyard wine, fruity as Kabinett or Spätlese. The 2020 Ayler Kupp Riesling Kabinett feinfruchtig scored 91 points with Falstaff.
- Ayler Riesling from slate – village wines that show the minerality of the Saar at a fair price.
- Elbling ‘Der Spritzige’ – dry, light Elbling from the shell limestone of the Upper Mosel, partly from vineyards at Wasserliesch.
- Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Auxerrois from limestone – dry, full, creamy.
- Saar Riesling sparkling brut – bottle-fermented sparkling wine with the typical Saar acidity.
- Spätburgunder as the red representative of the range.
A curiosity beyond the vineyard: the Margarethenhof’s wines are served at FC Bayern Munich home matches in the Allianz Arena.
Awards
The Margarethenhof is listed in the leading German wine guides: Gault&Millau gives it a recommendation, Eichelmann lists the estate with one star, and at the Selection competition several wines received three or four stars. The 2020 Ayler Kupp Riesling Kabinett feinfruchtig was rated 91 points by Falstaff. Between 2020 and 2023 the estate repeatedly featured in the selection of the Best of Riesling competition. Riesling.de lists the estate as recommended. Added to this is the Fair’n Green certification as recognition of sustainable practice.
