| Region of production: | Rheingau |
| Winery Location: | Hochheim am Mein |
| Year Established: | 1648 in South Moravia, Czech Republic; the estate moved to Hochheim am Mein in 1965. |
Vineyard Holdings
36 ha
planted to 79% Riesling and 12% Pinot Noir; 76% of the estate’s production is classified for Grosses Gewächs
- Hochheimer Kirchenstück: 2.4 ha; soil is sandy loess with heavy limestone
- Hochheimer Hölle: 8.9 ha; soil is clay marl
- Hochheimer Reichestal: 8.5 ha; soil is sandy loam-loess soil above clay marl
- Hochheimer Domdechaney: 0.3 ha; soil is loam-loess
- Kostheimer Weiss Erd: 1.3 ha; soil is marl and loam-loess
Top Wines Produced
- Hochheimer Kirchenstück Riesling GG
- Hochheimer Hölle Riesling GG
- Kostheimer Weiss Erd Riesling GG
Average Total Production
- 192,000 bottles
Summary
The majority of this estate’s history took place 80 kilometers north of Vienna in South Moravia. At the end of WWII the family had to leave what was then Czechoslovakia during the forced mass exodus of ethnic Germans from that country. In 1965, Franz Künstler was able to reestablish his family estate in the town of Hochheim am Mein. His son Gunter, who had been making the wine since 1988, took over the winery with his wife Monika in 1992, and they joined the VDP in 1994. In 2010, their 2009 Riesling Hochheimer Hölle Kabinett Trocken received five stars from Decanter; they also received four grape clusters from Gault Millau in the same year.
Style & Vinification Techniques
More than 50% of Künstler’s vines are over 20 years old (and nearly 20% surpass 40 years), and they don’t use the vines from Grosses Gewächs sites until they reach a certain age. Künstler works to avoid grapes being affected with botrytis. Grapes for the still, dry wines are de-stemmed. Wines ferment in a cool facility in either stainless steel, stück or doppelstück,using only certain yeasts from Épernay. All wines undergo bâtonnage. In 2012 the estate started labeling all Erstes Gewächs with the VDP Grosses Gewächs designation, dropping the signature Rheingau classification.
Producer Website: Künstler