Just over one mile down the river from the Monchhof winery, one finds the Erdener Treppchen vineyard. ‘Treppchen’ translates as ‘little staircase’ as the vineyard is so steep that it is difficult to cultivate. Locals named the site after the stairs workers built into the vineyard to make their lives easier hundreds of years ago. Due to its slightly western orientation and the lack of protective slate cliffs, the Erdener Treppchen is a relatively cool micro-climate. Combined with the blue slate soil, which typically affects the wines more subtly than the red slate found in the Würzgarten, wines from the Erdener Treppchen are more delicate, with more subtle aromatics and racy acidity on the palate. The 40-50-year-old vines are VSP trained, which allows easy canopy management on the steep gradient, and some are still on their original European rootstocks. Summer leaf removal allows for good air circulation and slows photosynthesis, resulting in a later harvest, producing berries with less sugar, less alcohol, and good aromatic maturity. Hand harvested.