Hochheimer Holle Riesling Auslese
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 10 to 40 years from the vintage release, though exceptional vintages can age gracefully for even longer.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Blue cheese, fruit tarts, and spicy Asian cuisine.
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The Hochheimer Hölle vineyard is one of the Rheingau's most historic sites, with its name deriving from the Middle High German word 'Halde,' meaning a steep slope, though local folklore playfully associates it with 'hell' due to the warm microclimate of the Main river valley. Weingut Künstler's Riesling Auslese from this legendary site showcases the unique terroir of heavy clay-loess soils rich in calcium carbonate. These soils retain excellent moisture and warmth, encouraging the development of noble rot (botrytis) in favorable years. The resulting wine is a masterclass in balance, where luscious sweetness of candied stone fruits, honey, and exotic spices is perfectly countered by a vibrant, electric acidity and a deep, saline minerality.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Re-established in 1965 by Franz Künstler in Hochheim am Main, Weingut Künstler carries forward a family winemaking heritage dating back to 1648 in Moravia. Today, under the stewardship of Gunter Künstler, who took over in 1992, the estate has risen to become one of the Rheingau's most celebrated producers and a prominent member of the VDP. The winery is renowned for its meticulous management of legendary Erste and Grosse Lage vineyards, such as Hochheimer Hölle and Kirchenstück. Utilizing traditional large oak casks alongside modern stainless steel, Künstler crafts exceptionally precise, mineral-driven Rieslings and elegant Spätburgunders that beautifully express the unique clay-loess and limestone terroirs near the Main river.