Hochheimer Domdechaney Riesling Auslese
⏳ Drinking Window
2025 - 2050
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
blue cheese, peach tart, rich pâté
✨ Technical Specifications
The Hochheimer Domdechaney vineyard is steeped in ecclesiastical history, its name translating to the 'deanery of the cathedral,' referencing its historic ownership by the Cathedral Chapter of Mainz. Situated on a south-facing slope near the Main river, this legendary site is characterized by heavy, nutrient-rich clay-loess soils with limestone marl. These soils retain moisture exceptionally well, yielding Rieslings of immense power, structure, and opulent texture. The Auslese style from this vineyard represents a meticulous selection of late-harvested, botrytis-affected grapes. Historically, the wines of Hochheim were so revered by British royalty and high society that they inspired the English term 'Hock' to refer to all Rhine wines. Künstler's expression of this site captures the perfect harmony of luscious sweetness, vibrant acidity, and a deep, earthy 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
7.5% - 8.5%