Summary
Weingut Nik Weis – St. Urbans-Hof in Leiwen is one of the renowned Riesling producers of the Mosel. Across around 45 hectares of steep sites on the Mosel and Saar, spread over some 60 kilometres, the vineyards are almost entirely Riesling. Since Nik Weis took over the 1947-founded family estate in the third generation in 1997, he has combined traditional steep-slope work with a special focus on old, own-rooted vines and historic Riesling clones. The wines range from bone-dry through off-dry to nobly sweet Prädikat wines – precise, mineral and long-lived.
History
The estate was founded in 1947 by Nicolaus Weis and named after Saint Urban I, the patron saint of winegrowers. Nicolaus Weis earned recognition for rebuilding Mosel viticulture after the Second World War and was appointed Ökonomierat (an honorary title). His son Hermann Weis expanded the estate further and became known beyond the region for his work with vine clones. Since 1997 Nik Weis has run the estate in the third generation; in 2000 St. Urbans-Hof joined the VDP.
Location & Terroir
The vineyards lie in classic steep sites on devonian slate along the Mosel and Saar. On the Mosel, blue and red slate shape the soils, while on the Saar – for example in the Ockfener Bockstein – weathered, gravelly greywacke gives particularly taut, mineral wines. The steep slopes, often workable only by hand, the cool climate and the late ripening are the basis for the fine acidity and ageing potential of the Rieslings.
Style & Philosophy
Nik Weis works close to nature and focused on origin: spontaneous fermentation with the vineyard's own natural yeasts, long lees ageing and minimal intervention. A cornerstone of the philosophy is the preservation of old, own-rooted vines and historic Riesling clones, which Nik Weis collects and propagates in his own vine nursery. The result is wines that precisely reflect site and vintage – across the whole spectrum from dry to nobly sweet.
Notable Sites & Wines
St. Urbans-Hof makes wines from a range of well-known sites on the Mosel and Saar. Among them are:
- Leiwener Laurentiuslay – the home site on the Middle Mosel
- Piesporter Goldtröpfchen – the famous amphitheatre site
- Mehringer Blattenberg (Mosel)
- Ockfener Bockstein (Saar) – gravelly and mineral
- Wiltinger Schlangengraben (Saar)
Awards
St. Urbans-Hof's wines are regularly rated highly in international tastings and wine guides; the Goldtröpfchen Riesling GG, for instance, earned top marks in the Wine Advocate. The estate is regarded as one of the reliable addresses for origin-clear Mosel and Saar Riesling and is firmly anchored among Germany's best through its VDP membership.