Melaphyr

(See also: Felsenberg, Kupfergrube)

A rare type of volcanic stone (technical name: andesite) that is the bedrock in two of the 7 terroirs or VDP Grosse Lagen / “Grand Crus” at Gut Hermannsberg, the Felsenberg and Kupfergrube. Dark in color, it absorbs a lot of the sun’s warmth and because it’s so hard there’s only a shallow layer of rocky soil in the sites with this bedrock often less than one meter in depth.