As in the Klosterberg site, the vines here 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 a 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). It’s interesting to note that while Turmberg has the official right to be classified as Grosse Lage, Wilhelm Weil chooses to bottle an Erste Lage from this steep vineyard. “There is only one tip on a pyramid,” he explains, referring to the Gräfenberg.