Kalkstein Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2027
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Creamy mushroom risotto, roasted poultry, grilled seafood
✨ Technical Specifications
While the Rheingau is rightfully celebrated as the spiritual home of Riesling, Weingut Künstler's 'Kalkstein' Chardonnay highlights the incredible potential of Burgundian varieties planted on the region's rare limestone veins. 'Kalkstein' translates directly to limestone, referencing the specific soil composition of the parcels where these vines thrive. Historically, Chardonnay was not officially permitted in German quality wine regions until the early 1990s, making this bottling a testament to modern German viticultural innovation. Gunter Künstler crafts this wine to emphasize mineral tension and structural elegance, drawing inspiration from classic Chablis. The grapes are carefully selected and fermented in a combination of stainless steel and traditional large oak casks, allowing the wine to develop a creamy texture that beautifully balances its vibrant, chalky acidity and flinty minerality.
🍾 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
Chardonnay
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
12.5% - 13.5%