Hochheimer Holle Riesling BA
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 15 to 50+ years from vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Blue cheese, fruit tarts, foie gras
✨ wine.spec_sheet
The Hochheimer Hölle Riesling Beerenauslese is a monument to the noble sweet winemaking tradition of the Rheingau. The vineyard name 'Hölle' does not translate to 'hell' as modern German suggests, but rather derives from the Middle High German word 'Halde', meaning a steep slope. Situated near the confluence of the Main and Rhine rivers, this south-facing slope benefits from a warm microclimate and heavy clay-loess soils that retain moisture, creating the perfect conditions for Botrytis cinerea, or noble rot. To craft this rare elixir, vineyard workers meticulously hand-select individual shriveled, botrytised berries over multiple passes through the vineyard. The resulting nectar is fermented slowly, yielding a wine of immense concentration, luscious sweetness, and a vibrant spine of acidity. Historically, the wines of Hochheim were so revered in England that they inspired the term 'Hock', famously adored by Queen Victoria herself.
🍾 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.