"In der Hölle“
The name of the location "Hölle" is derived from the middle upper German word "Halde" meaning "steep hill"

Clay marl
Marls are lime-rich fine-grained unconsolidated sediments. Clays are the smallest soil particles, less than 0.002 mm in diameter. Marl containing a large proportion of clay is called clay marl.
This clay was deposited as mud in the still waters of an ocean about 28-30 million years ago. The marl contains fossils. The Cyrena Marl of the Hochheimer Hölle was named after clam called Cyrena which inhabited the brackish waters.  

Vineyard soils: residual loess and clay marl
Clay marl stores vast amounts of nutrients for the plant! The marls are covered by loess – dust from the ice age. Weathering processes have removed the lime from the loess and caused it to darken. This weathered loess is known as residual loess. The loose residual loess is an excellent medium for growing vine, providing an ample supply of water and nutrients. The residual loess supplies the vine with water, even during droughts. At the same time there is plenty of air circulating in the pores for root respiration.

Minute soil

The tiny clay particles stick together tightly so that roots or water cannot penetrate the soil so easily.

Thus water-logging is common in spring and the soil is slow to warm. Cultivating the soil is difficult. Working the wet clay soil is like a mud-slinging contest, but when it is dry the clay bakes into hard clumps, which cannot be broken by tilling tools.

Clay marls are so-called "minute soils" – you have to wait for just the right moment to work the soil..