Hochheimer Mainterrassen Riesling
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
pan-seared trout, pork schnitzel, mild Thai green curry
✨ Technical Specifications
The Hochheimer Mainterrassen Riesling is a beautiful expression of the unique terroir of Hochheim am Main, a historic winegrowing town situated at the eastern edge of the Rheingau. Unlike most of the region which overlooks the Rhine, Hochheim's vineyards face south toward the Main River. The 'Mainterrassen' refers to the ancient river terraces, where soils are characterized by a rich mixture of loess, clay, and river gravels. This soil composition, combined with the warming influence of the river, yields a Riesling that is typically rounder, more opulent, and slightly lower in sharp acidity than its counterparts from the steep slate slopes of the lower Rheingau. Historically, the wines of Hochheim were so celebrated in England that Queen Victoria's visit in 1850 popularized the term 'Hock' as a generic term for all German white wines. Weingut Künstler crafts this wine to capture the vibrant, fruit-forward, and mineral-driven essence of these historic terraces.
🍾 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
12% - 12.5%