Künstler
Künstler
This Article Contains |
People |
Gunter Künstler
Focus |
Pinot Noir and Riesling with lots of “heart and soul”. They have character and are not overly polished.
Country |
Germany
Region |
Rheingau
Village |
Hochheim am Main
Climate |
Moderate Continental
- Relatively cold winters, hot, medium length, fairly rainy summers, with long, cool, dry autumns.
- This is a special climate for wine in Germany because of four main factors: Aspect, Elevation, and exposure and the River.
- Historically this was the greatest region for white wine in the world. It is warmer than the Mosel, so vintages were more consistent but Its northerly latitude still put it in the cool continental climate zone. This meant perfectly balanced wines with high acid, but ripe intense fruit concentration and the ability to age for… well…ever.
- A bend in the Rhein river means almost the entire Rheingau hillside faces due south, picking up the maximum amount of sunlight and heat available.
- Its moderate to steep slope also helped push ripeness higher, and being along a very wide river, meant reflection of the sun onto the vines for a boost from below.
- Today, what was once a boon, has helped in its waning reputation. Many winemakers continued to push for ripeness in the warming age of climate change, meaning that wines were over ripe, high in alcohol, with low acidities, were generally unbalanced, and not as ageworthy.
- Top producers, like Küstler, have embraced the changes, replanting to red grapes like Pinot Noir and making incredible, balanced wine, reflective of terroir through a more appropriate grape for the climate.
- Warmer vintages: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2015 produce wines with lower acidity, higher alcohols, and richer fruit flavors.
- Cooler vintages: 2021, 2013, 2010, 2008 produce what are now considered “classic” cool-climate wines
- 2022 is an enigma. It was hot and very dry for most of the growing season, but rain and long cold fall ended up giving us wines that taste more like “classic” cool-climate wines than rich, ripe wines.
Vineyards |
35 hectares in Hochheim
- Domdechaney: Hochheim, Grand Cru, Löss, loam, gravel and marl. Concentration and body with stunning minerality. Needs at least 2-5 years of development before opening.
- Kirschenstück: Hochheim, Grand Cru, heavy lime bedrock, with löss, loam, and sand. Protected from the north by Hochheim, on a south facing slope. Wines are light and lively with notes of melon and peach.
- Hölle: Hochheim, Grand Cru, Very steep site with clay, marl, lime. A light slope with lots of clay for deep dense wines that can show gorgeous complexity with enough time in the cellar.
- Steilweg: Hochheim, Grand Cru. Heavy loam and clay with sand. 50 year old vines give wine with both a fine grained texture, fruity exuberance and enough complexity for aging.
- Berg Rottland: Rudesheim, Erste Gewächs. Some deep löss, moving into shallow gravel soils with slate and sandstone. A very steep site, in a protected natural basin with great access to water. Stony, salty wines with body and power.
- Berg Schlossberg: Rudesheim, Erste Gewächs.The steepest hillside in the Rheingau with very hard quartzite and slate. Snappy, savory, delicate, lacy with high acidity and beautiful minerality. Some of the finest Riesling on earth.
Grape Varieties |
Pinot Noir / Spätburgunder
- German Pinot Noir wines are vinified as dry red wines with complex cherry aroma with subtle hints of smoke and almond, slight tannins, and high acidity, with a long finish.
- Had a poor reputation thanks to high yielding, work-horse, clonal material.
- Now Burgundy clones dominate vineyards for the best producers showcasing this incredible variety's true potential.
Riesling
- The King of White Grapes.
- High acid, semi aromatic
- A huge variation in style potential from very light and dry, sparkling to the most unctuously sweet wines on the planet.
- Divisive for its high acidity and sugar retaining capabilities
- Perfect in its dynamic nature, ability to transmit the slightest nuance of terroir and being capable of aging for hundreds of years.
Sauvignon Blanc
- High acid
- Semi aromatic
- Light to medium in body depending on location and oak application
- Originally from France
- Does extremely well in the limestone soils of the Rheingau.
Chardonnay
- Moderately high acid
- Neutral in aromatics
- Responds well to winemaking, no matter the method
- Originally from Burgundy, France
- Does well on the limestone soils of Rheingau
Farming |
Organic Practicing & Sustainable
- Fair n Green certified
- 11 hectares are worked organically
- No herbicides have been used anywhere since 1992.
- The two rivers create a very humid environment making several parcels impossible to work without fungicides.
Cellar Work |
Modern
- Musts settle by gravity and are pressed clear
- Cultured yeasts are used because of the high temperatures at harvest, which risk high volatile acidity if done spontaneously.
- Most wines are in old cask, with some stainless steel employed.
About the winery |
Established in 1648 north of Vienna in Moravia. After WWII he was forced to expatriate and in 1965 re-established the family business at the confluence of the rivers Mains and Rhein.
What do the wines taste like?
The wines are very pure, clean, and precise, without tasting as though they’ve been sanitized and had the character stripped out of them. They are detailed and meticulous, but also delicious and satisfying.