History

1171 The monks of the Zwettl monastery are granted their first vineyards at the Heiligenstein and Gaisberg.
1740 The castle and its vineyards are acquired by the order.
1786 After a fire at the Kammern winery, winemaking is transferred to Gobelsburg.
1996 Michael & Eva Moosbrugger take over the management of the property together with Willi & Edwige Bründlmayer. The winery is admitted to the association Österreichische Traditionsweingüter.

“Qui bon vin boit, Dieu voit.” (Saying of the Cistercians)
The very early history of the castle Gobelsburg and its vineyards is an unwritten story as with many similar estates in Austria. Archeological excavations in one of our vineyards (Grub) and during the extension of the chateau’s vaults have released many traces of settlements in eolithic, bronze and iron age, the Roman empire and early medieval periods.

1074
The castle was first mentioned in a contract dated 1074 in relation to Azzo de Gobatsburich, Earl of Kuenring. The property remained in the possession of the Kuenring family until the end of the 12th century when it changed hands to the Felsberg-Falkenstein family as a dowry for the last lady Kuenring. In the 15th century the Habsburgs, the reigning Dukes of Austria took possession of the estate. During the flourishing regimen of the Habsburg, then German Emperors, the fortified castle Gobatsburg was torn down to be replaced by a Renaissance manor house. It changed hands again only 100 years later.

When Stift Zwettl, a Cistercian monastery, was founded by Earl Hadmar I of Kuenring in 1137 the monks were bestowed with forests and land around Zwettl in the heart of Waldviertel as well as with vineyards and arable land in Kammern near Langenlois and the rivers Kamp and Danube. The oldest known vineyard in the region is mentioned in this deed of donation, ie the Allerheiligenstiftung.

1440
Between 1074 and 1740 there were as many as 19 different families on the estate and castle Gobelsburg. The last aristocratic owner Freiherr Achaz Ehrenreich von Hohenfenfeld initiated the alterations of the Renaissance manor house into a handsome Baroque chateau in the first half of the 18th century.

The basic structure – two-storied 4 wings around a courtyard – stayed as it was. Renaissance features can still be seen today with the arcade in the courtyard and the vaulted Sala Terrena. The main modifications made were very delicate Baroque ornaments on the three facades and huge tiled stoves thematically harmonized with stucco and painted ceilings in most of the rooms.

1740
The small terraced garden was most likely added at the same time based on the style of the decorative watchtowers and box hedges.

The reconstruction that was planned and carried out by the famous architect Josef Munggenast (Melk, Zwettl, Altenburg) caused severe financial difficulties for the family Ehrenreich-Hohenfeld, hence why in 1740 the son of Baron Achaz entered the monastery of Zwettl in hopes that they would take over the property along with its debts.

In 1784 the two estates of Stift Zwettl, Kammern and Gobelsburg, were merged and began operating as “Schloss Gobelsburg Weingut des Cistercienser Stift Zwettl” from that point on. Since then Gobelsburg has become one of the leading and most distinguished wineries in Austria.

1918-1945
Between World War I and II the chateau was (mis) used as a summer youth camp, during World War II French POWs were quartered at the estate. No major damages occurred during the war. However, during the following Soviet occupation the officers made a sport of shooting into the front facade. Today the chateau has once again been restored to its prior glory and is a popular venue for cultural events, as well as family and company functions.

1958
Father Bertrand Baumann put the restoration of the estate, its reputation, as well as its return to prominence at the forefront during his time at the winery. He brought Cistercian tradition to Gobelsburg with the introduction of the Burgundian vine Pinot Noir achieving outstanding results despite the laborious and complex cultivation the varietal requires. He also established Gobelsburger Messwein (altar wine) as an Austrian classic. This particular wine is a light and crisp Grüner Veltliner that is produced in strict accordance to ecclesiastical regulations in concern to vineyard and cellar techniques, ie organically sensitive work in the vineyards, no chaptalization or additives. Father Bertrand served as Abbot of Stift Zwettl from 1980 until 1994 when he finally resigned due to age. Altabt” Father Bertrand is still proudly and joyfully inspecting the vineyards and cellars here today.

1996
In January 1996 Schloss Gobelsburg – the estate and its vineyards – were acquired by Willi Bründlmayer and Michael Moosbrugger through a long-term lease. Today the estate and winery are managed by Michael.

Some of Austria’s finest vineyards belong to Schloss Gobelsburg, these being the vineyards on the terraced Heiligenstein and Gaisberg as well as the hollow site between the two hills, the Grub.

The terroir of these hills and hollow sites are very diverse – each exemplifying their own unique nuances. The hills have porous rocky soil containing mica-schist and gneiss, as well as basalt in some places on the Heiligenstein. The soil within the hollow is fertile loess 4 to 8 meters deep. On the adjoining lower sites there is loess and loam mixed with some brown and sandy soil. The Gobelsburg plateau which is south of the château, has vineyards that rest upon pebbles and gravel that was transported here by the “early Danube.” Additionally, there is a topsoil of about 0.5 to 1.0 meter consisting of black and loamy soil and loess.

ARCHITECTURE

Joseph Munggenast – A Tyrolean in the realms of Lower Austria. Through the ages an effigy of the contemporary is formed, petrified to classical form and spirit.

The castle is situated next to the church on the Burgberg, and together they form the base of the fortification. The building is a four-winged complex with a Renaissance core. Gobelsburg Castle evolved from its once fortress structure as documented in 1178 into a castle by the 16th century and  in 1725 it was completely rebuilt by Achaz von Ehrenreich.

EXTERIOR BUILDING
The castle presents itself today as a two-storey, four-sided building complex with a massive mansard hipped roof and a high compensatory base rising to the north. The main façade of the south tract is a 13-axial with 5-axial protruding façade bays, as well as interlacing plaster work beneath the window roofing and in the fields following. The middle-axis has a gabled portal with pilasters on the sides and depicts the Zwettl Monastery coat of arms. A double coat of arms can also be found in the gable field. The windows of the ground floor are furnished with baroque gratings.

In the lenticular courtyard there are arcades with groin vaulting on the north and south sides which are remains of the building from the 16th century. As a main accent to the courtyard in the north wing, a tri-axial central pavillion rises a half-storey higher, emphasized on the exterior and courtyard side in the upper storey by round-arch windows and oblique oval oculi between gigantic pilasters, respectively , standing volutes. In the raised part one can admire the sundial of 1743 (renovated in 1966). The entrance door is equipped with metal fittings and handles from around the middle of the 18th century. In the drive-through entrance hall, on the north side, a wrought-iron door with metal bands and hand grips still remains from the 16th century.

INTERIOR
One can reach the top floor up a triple stairway with a wrought-iron grill from the mid-18th century. These grandiose rooms, of which there are six in number, are housed in the south tract. In the south-west corner is the chapel with a stuccoed flat ceiling. There is an oval frame on the curved mirror containing the oil painting “The Birth of Christ” from Martin Johann Schmidt, from the middle of the 18th century. It is decorated with a sarcophagus altar,  a picture-frame altarpiece from 1769 and a side pilasters with volute extensions. The altar picture depicts “St. Bernard Before the Cross,”  also from MJ Schmidt.

The rooms on the top floor are adorned with leaf work and interlacing stucco. The south tract is characterized by grooved flat ceilings with stuccoed or painted scenes from Roman or Greek mythology. A further characteristic of these rooms are the four tiled ovens from the second half of the 18th century. These are glazed in various colors, with partly unglazed, respectively, gilded interlacing decoration with figural additions.

WINE CELLAR

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.

VINEYARDS

Terroir – the interaction between soil, rock, microclimate and the experience of generations. Just as wind and sun leave their imprint on the face of every farmer, authentic wine is a mirror of the soil, the rain, the sun and the wind that made it ripen.

As one of the oldest wineries in Austria, 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.