Hochheimer Kirchenstuck Erstes Gewachs
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2040
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
roasted pork belly, pan-seared sea bass, creamy veal blanquette
✨ Technical Specifications
The Hochheimer Kirchenstück, or 'church plot,' is one of the Rheingau's most legendary vineyards, situated directly behind the historic late-Baroque church of St. Peter and Paul in Hochheim am Main. This south-facing slope benefits from a unique microclimate influenced by the nearby Main river, which acts as a thermal mirror, protecting the vines from frost and ensuring optimal ripening. The soils here are exceptionally rich, composed of deep clay-loess, sandy marl, and gravelly loam, which impart a signature power, density, and profound mineral tension to the wine. As an Erstes Gewächs, the historic Rheingau designation for a premier dry grand cru, Weingut Künstler crafts this Riesling using traditional methods, including gentle pressing and slow fermentation, often aging the wine in large, neutral oak casks. This process tempers the grape's vibrant, electric acidity with a creamy texture and complex notes of ripe stone fruits, petrol, and crushed wet stones.
🍾 About the Producer
Weingut Künstler was established in Hochheim am Main in 1965 by Franz Künstler, reviving a long-standing family winemaking tradition that originated in South Moravia before World War II. The estate rose to international prominence under the stewardship of Franz's son, Gunter Künstler, who assumed leadership in 1992 with an uncompromising focus on terroir-driven precision. Managing iconic VDP.Grosse Lage vineyard sites such as Hochheimer Hölle, Kirchenstück, and Domdechaney, the winery champions sustainable vineyard management, minimal cellar intervention, and extensive aging on the lees. Künstler is renowned across the globe for its powerful, mineral-structured dry Rieslings, magnificent noble sweet expressions, and remarkably elegant, complex Spätburgunder.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Riesling
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
12.5% - 13.5%