Similarly to Klosterberg, the Turmberg vines sit in the 30- to 50-year-old range. The name Turmberg—or ‘tower hill’—derives from the ruins of the last surviving tower of the former castle, Burg Scharfenstein (12th century), positioned dramatically atop the vineyard. The infamous German wine law of 1971 made this site part of the neighbouring Gräfenberg. In 2005, Weil succeeded in having this 3.8-hectare monopole reinstated as an individual classified site in the vineyard register (historically, it had been a separate vineyard, reflecting the unique terroir).
Interestingly, while Turmberg is now officially classified Grosse Lage, Wilhelm Weil chooses to bottle only an Erste Lage from this steep vineyard. “There is only one tip on a pyramid,” he explains, referring to Gräfenberg. Indeed, in Germany’s 2024 classification re-evaluation tastings, we hear that Turmberg outshone many of the famous GGs, so you are getting GG quality for the price of a 1er Cru. The pure, rocky slate soils here give the most linear, coiled wine in the lineup. Riesling lovers, saddle up!