There is a spot on the right bank of the Mosel where the river makes an especially tight and steep curve. It marks the home of the famous Trittenheimer Apotheke single site vineyard. Well into the late evening hours, the tall southwest-facing hillside is bathed in warm sunlight, which the Devonian slate soils store up as heat to be returned to the vines at night. The hilly vineyard is considered especially steep, with soils notable for being both stony and rugged and a gradient of up to 65%. Deep-flowing veins of water provide an optimal supply of nutrients. The Riesling vines, some ungrafted and over 100 years old, are forced to dig deep to secure the water they need, producing the entirely remarkable minerality for which Apotheke wines are known.
