Künstler Stielweg Riesling Old Vines First Growth dry

Hochheim am Main lies where the Rheingau region meets the Main River – and the Stielweg vineyard is one of the most distinctive sites of the Künstler winery. The name derives from the Middle High German word "Stiege ," meaning a steep path leading through heavy clay soil.

The vines here were planted more than 60 years ago. Old vines root deeply, produce little, but concentrate a lot. Künstler ages the wine in large oak casks – no new wood to overpower the wine, but rather a quiet maturation that brings out the texture and minerality.

In the glass, the Stielweg reveals what Hochheimer Riesling from clay soils is capable of: ripe pear and quince, a spicy herbal note, beneath which lies a firm mineral core. The acidity is present but integrated – the wine already appears round and complex in its youth, yet possesses the backbone for many more years in the cellar.

• Dishes: Veal medallions with herb butter, pike-perch on leek vegetables, mature Comté cheese
• Temperature: 10–12 °C
• Drinking window: now until 2033+