Schloss Gobelsburg Ried ‘Gaisberg’ 1ÖTW Erste Lage Kamptal Riesling 2021

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Gaisberg belongs to three villages (Kammern, Zöbing and Strass) and is situated just east of Heiligenstein. Geologically, this most eastern part of the Gföhler gneiss plate is marked by slaty para-gneiss, amphibolite and mica. Some parts of the Riesling terraces contain the oldest vineyards of the estate.

About Schloss Gobelsburg

More than three-quarters of a millennium ago – in the year 1171, to be exact – the cloistral chronology of Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg began. That was the year when the Cistercian monks of Stift Zwettl acquired their first vineyards around Riede Heiligenstein. An impressive monastic property would develop over the centuries out of these parcels, managed by the monks of the abbey until twenty-five years ago (1996), when they placed responsibility for this monument to Austria’s viticultural heritage in the hands of Michael Moosbrugger and his family.

Schloss Gobelsburg is arguably one of the great Estates in the World of wine today ,producing exceptional wines from the finest Vineyads in the Kamptal. Heiligenstein , Gaisberg and Lamm are only some of the names which have repeatedly been named as the pinnacle of Viticulture.

Exploring Austrian Wine

Michael Moosbrugger, CEO and winemaker at Schloss Gobelsburg, talking about the history of winemaking in Austria, the appellation system, vineyard classification and celebrating their 850th vintage in 2021.

5:25 – Michael begins his presentation
6:15 – History of Austrian wine
8:40 – New wine culture in Austria
9:55 – Regions and appellations
17:45 – Vineyard classification system
19:23 – Schloss Gobelsburg Estate
23:15 – Wine production at Schloss Gobelsburg
29:55 Vintage 2020
33:15 – Tradition 50 years wines to mark 850th vintage

In the Vineyard

Schloss Gobelsburg has several historical vineyard sites around the castle. Every site has its specialties and particularities with different soil and micro-climatic conditions. From the sun-exposed terraces on Zöbinger Heiligenstein and the Gaisberg mountain to the extensive garden facilities around Gobelsburg castle, the vines are subjected to a wide range of conditions. In accordance with their respective potential, the best possible development conditions are established for every grape variety.

At Schloss Gobelsburg, ecological winegrowing is not just simply en vogue at the moment. The monks of the Zwettl Monastery, who managed the winery until 1995, used organic fertiliser, abstained from employing herbicides, and aimed to reduce the use of plant protectants.

In 1996, the Schloss Gobelsburg Winery was granted membership into the renowned Verein der Österreichischen Traditionsweingüter (Association of Austrian Traditional Wineries). This association was the first in Austria to classify vineyard locations in Kamptal and Kremstal. Many of these vineyards – usually locations with a long history – produce wines with great potential year after year and stand out from the other conventional vineyards.

In the Winery

Simplicity & strictness are the two motifs of monastic life still working their magic in the cellars. The idea of the barrel on wheels is an important element of a dynamic wine production. Central to this concept are working processes requiring a minimum of mechanical impact on the wine. The utilisation of natural resources in combination with innovative elements help to form the character of the wines by preserving their authenticity.

The oldest part of the cellar dates back to the castle facilities of the 11th century and over the years, the cellar has been continuously expanded. When Moosbrugger and Bründlmayer took over the winery in 1996, the cellar was already well equipped with modern technologies.

In times when many large international cellars are attempting to produce uniform wines that cater to standardised tastes, Moosbrugger is convinced that the future of wineries like Schloss Gobelsburg lies in individuality and character. As a high level of technology is necessary to obtain uniformity, Moosbrugger believes that a great level of individuality can only be achieved through reduction of intervention.

This is why at Gobelsburg plans do not revolve around the question of which  machines can still be added to the cellar, but instead which machines can be done without. Moosbrugger developed the ‘Dynamic Cellar Concept’ for the winery with the key idea being to have flexible cellar operation where – to put it simplistically – wines are no longer pumped from one location to the other, but instead transported in ‘barrels on wheels’ from one section of the cellar to the other.

The type of barrels used to mature wines helps to shape their character which is why for centuries Timber from Manhartsberg (a region north of Langenlois) has been used for the large and small oak casks. Naturally, this wood has a different character profile than oak from Allier or America. But it’s the regional character that forms the authentic personality of the Schloss Gobelsburg wines, which comes from a symbiosis between the trees that are grown under same climatically conditions then the grapes of the later wines.

This approach is also based on significant findings derived from the study of old wine-making techniques, which resulted in a wine series by the name of ‘Tradition’. These wines are made using the traditional method of the 19th century which is known for its old and sound aging structures, that has also paved the way to the (almost) forgotten Austrian culture of taste.

Where in the World is Schloss Gobelsburg?

Schloss Gobelsburg is in Niederosterreich (Lower Austria) in the Kamptal region.