- February 16, 2014
Digging Up the Gravel
- by Lars Carlberg
There seems to be a disregard for gravel river beds among all the steep slate slopes in the Mosel Valley. In Piesport, just across the Mosel River from the grand hillside—which includes Piesporter Goldtröpfchen, Domherr, Schubertslay, and Falkenberg, among other sites—is the large, expansive vineyard of Piesporter Treppchen. The name Treppchen, however, is a misnomer, for it means "little steps." But the site, unlike the more famous Erdener Treppchen further downriver, is mainly on a vast plain by the river. And despite its poor reputation, Piesporter Treppchen has some very good sections with slate, as well as well-drained, deep-gravel soil on the plain.
A quality-conscious grower can produce very good wines from here, such as Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc). Yet construction companies have bought up plots from various grape growers and are digging up the gravel for building roads instead.
"The same thing has occurred upriver in Leiwen, Thörnich, and Detzem over the past 10 years or so," Heinz Welter of Später-Veit says. "The meter-deep holes are later refilled with substandard soil and then sold to other growers."
If this were a gravel croupe in the Médoc or a prime gravel site in the Figéac–Cheval Blanc sector of Saint-Émilion, there would be growers up in arms. On the other hand, some historic gravel sites have been lost in the northern Pessac-Léognan because of the city of Bordeaux's expansion. Nonetheless, Heinz says that no one seems to care about what's happening to large sections of Piesporter Treppchen, which is a shame. ♦
In addition, many Mosel slate sites with old vines have been lost, also in the more famous Middle Mosel (Mittelmosel). See Ulli Stein's "A Call to Action."
Photograph courtesy of Heinz Welter.
- Posted in Articles, Vineyards
- | Tagged: Piesport, Später-Veit
Like the famous Piesporter Goldtröpfchen, the steep Erdener Treppchen was remodeled, called Flurbereinigung, and most of the old vines cut down in the process. In addition, the original steep site of Treppchen, or “little steps,” across from the village of Erden, became a part of Erdener Prälat, which before was a brand not a specific site. There’s an actual staircase that goes up this rocky hillside.
The original Erdener Treppchen was sold by the Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier several years ago. It was once part of the Bischöfliches Priesterseminar. In Frank Schoonmaker’s Wines of Germany (Hastings House, 1956), he has the following footnote: “Father Hennen, of the Bischöfliches Priesterseminar, tells me that the name Treppchen, dates only from 1808 and that this vineyard was formerly called Unter-Uerzig [Lower Ürzig]. The change is certainly for the better.”
Across from Erdener Treppchen is the Grosslage Erdener Busslay, which was once an old site name on the steep slope.
Another analogy would be Crozes-Hermitage. There are the granite slopes next to Hermitage and the stony plain. Of course, the slope is more esteemed, but the stony plain makes good wines, too.
Thank you for the writeup, Lars. For whatever it is worth, the only Piesporter Treppchen that I’ve tried was pretty nondescript (a 2007 Riesling Spätlese from Karl Jostock-Thul und Sohn).
As you said, the gravel is probably much better suited to Pinot Blanc and other varieties, than to Riesling.
You’re welcome, Andrew. I just think it’s sad that the gravel river beds along the Mosel River are being dug up and resold as vineyards. Heinz calls them the “Kiesmafia,” or “gravel mafia.”
Yesterday, I spoke with Joachim Krieger. He says that the ur-Treppchen in Piesport was one of the many different site names on this famous hillside. Another example would be Erdener Bußlay, which use to designate a site on the steep hillside across the Mosel River from Erden. Yet, since 1971, Erdener Bußlay is an expansive flatland vineyard surrounding the village.
In Leiwen, I learned from someone that a firm named Wey Kies is responsible for much of the digging up of gravel and sand in the Mosel region. The company is based in Rivenich, close to Neumagen-Dhron, and purchased from the grower Heinz Schneider a gravel vineyard in Leiwener Klostergarten. Wey Kies dug up the gravel and sand, and, later on, Schneider purchased the plot back. When he replanted the vineyard, the vines didn’t grow well. It turns out that the ground had been contaminated with oil and heavy metal. I wonder why Schneider sold the parcel in the first place and why did he take it it back, even if his intentions were just to produce a simple wine from the land. More important, why is a company like Wey Kies allowed to dig up vineyards and resell them back to growers as vineyard land?
As for Piesporter Treppchen, Stefan Steinmetz of Günther Steinmetz pointed out to me that the original Treppchen is the steep, terraced hillside just before Ohligsberg on the way from Piesport to Wintrich.
On two recent visits to Piesport, I couldn’t help but notice massive holes in Piesporter Treppchen. Heinz Welter told me that the authorities are finally starting to wake up and analyze the soil that is being put back into the ground. Much of what was dumped into the vineyards here and in other sites along this stretch of the Middle Mosel had pollutants.