Riesling
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
grilled white fish, roasted pork, spicy Asian dishes
✨ Technical Specifications
Weingut Künstler's estate Riesling serves as a magnificent introduction to the unique terroir of Hochheim am Main, situated at the eastern edge of the Rheingau where the Main River meets the Rhine. This geographic positioning gives Hochheim a warmer microclimate than the lower Rheingau, resulting in Rieslings of exceptional richness, body, and balanced acidity. The historical significance of this region cannot be overstated; it is from Hochheim that the English term 'Hock' was coined, a name popularized after Queen Victoria visited the town's vineyards in 1850 and declared her love for its wines. Künstler's classic Riesling is crafted with fruit from estate vineyards dominated by clay-loess soils, fermented in a combination of temperature-controlled stainless steel and traditional large oak casks. This methodology preserves the vibrant, mineral-driven purity of the grape while imparting a subtle, textured complexity that defines the estate's signature style.
🍾 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
11.5-12.5%