With the Hohen-Sülzen Kirchenstück, Weingut Battenfeld Spanier farms one of the historic premier sites of the Wonnegau, first documented as early as 1297. Situated on a plateau at around 150 metres of elevation between the churches of Hohen-Sülzen, the vineyard is defined by Pliocene soils over prominent limestone ledges. A friable, calcareous surface layer provides the vines with an optimal nutrient supply, while the sheltered amphitheatre setting fosters slightly warmer daytime temperatures, lending the Kirchenstück a warmer, more succulent expression.

The Kirchenstück Riesling Großes Gewächs 2025 reveals a ripe, yellow-fruited aromatic profile accompanied by delicate herbal spice. Yellow apple, quince, and nectarine meet citrus, brook mint, and a hint of lemon thyme, joined by smoky and stony nuances that emerge more clearly with aeration. On the palate, the Riesling is juicy and dense yet pure and precise. Ripe fruit is carried by vibrant acidity, while chalky minerality imparts tension and a fine saline pull. Subtle phenolic grip lends added contour, channelling the succulent fruit along a linear frame.

In the Kirchenstück, the 2025 vintage brings out the warm, aromatically generous side of the vineyard to wonderful effect while remaining focused thanks to its limestone imprint and bright acidity. Spontaneous fermentation and maturation in large oak casks impart added texture and allow fruit and minerality to meld seamlessly without oak aromatics ever dominating. It is precisely this union of ripe yellow fruit, herbal spice, and chalky tension that defines the character of the Kirchenstück.

The Battenfeld Spanier Hohen-Sülzen Kirchenstück Riesling Großes Gewächs 2025 thus possesses a slightly softer, more succulent texture than the cooler, stonier Rieslings of the Zellertal, while preserving the tension and mineral precision vital to the site. On the long finish, citrus, herbal spice, and saline limestone notes converge—a Grosses Gewächs of impressive substance and a clear terroir signature, whose balance of ripeness, juiciness, and mineral tension lends it compelling expression both in its youth and with further bottle age.