Estate Riesling
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2027
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
pan-seared trout, roasted pork belly, mild Thai green curry
✨ Technical Specifications
The Estate Riesling from Weingut Künstler serves as the ultimate introduction to the unique terroir of Hochheim am Main, situated at the eastern edge of the Rheingau. Here, where the Main River flows into the Rhine, the vineyards benefit from a microclimate that is warmer than the rest of the region, yielding wines of exceptional ripeness and structural power. This wine carries the legacy of Hochheim's historic fame; it was during Queen Victoria's 1850 visit to these very vineyards that the English term 'Hock' was coined to describe high-quality Rhine wines. Crafted from fruit grown on nutrient-rich loess, clay, and sandy loam soils, the wine is fermented primarily in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to preserve its pristine, vibrant fruit character, with a small portion occasionally seeing traditional large oak casks to enhance texture. The result is a classic dry Rheingau Riesling that beautifully balances electric acidity with a deep, stony minerality.
🍾 About the Producer
Weingut Künstler traces an illustrious family winemaking lineage to 1648 in southern Moravia, before Franz Künstler re-established the estate in Hochheim am Main in 1965 following post-war expulsion. Gunter Künstler assumed direction in 1992, elevating the domaine into one of Germany's preeminent dry Riesling benchmarks and earning VDP membership in 1994. Spanning approximately 50 hectares, Künstler's vineyard portfolio centers on Hochheim's warm eastern Rheingau mesoclimate, featuring loess, loam, and mineral-dense limestone marl sloping down to the Main River, complemented by holdings in Rüdesheim and Assmannshausen. Viticulture is practiced under certified Fair'n Green sustainable standards, marked by meticulous canopy management, low yields, and strict selective hand-harvesting. Cellar work emphasizes slow, gentle pressing and extended lees maturation in traditional large neutral oak casks and stainless steel, capturing formidable textural richness alongside crystalline acidity. The estate is celebrated for power-driven, long-lived VDP.Große Gewächse from legendary sites including Hochheimer Hölle, Hochheimer Kirchenstück, and Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Spätburgunder.
🍇 Grapes
Riesling
🍷 ABV
11.5-12.5%