A Kabinett off a third of a hectare of old ungrafted vines, in a site almost nobody outside the Mosel can name. Treppchen "vorm Berg" is a two-hectare patch tucked just behind the Kilburg estate, up a side valley above and behind the great Ohligsberg — higher, cooler, and darker and denser in fruit than its famous neighbor, with powerful acidity and a savory, herbal streak. Ungrafted vines in a barely-known vineyard, farmed by one of the Mosel's brightest young growers, are the kind of thing that gets found out eventually. Max is the 20th generation of his family on the river, farming the Geierslay estate in Wintrich plus a micro-project of old-vine parcels that totals about 1.2 hectares, and this Kabinett was a recent addition to his lineup. His Kabinetts have a reputation for being firm, precise and racy rather than soft — this is the gently sweet Mosel style wound tight. Buy it before the site has a reputation to pay for.