2022 Schlosskellerei Gobelsburg, Cisterien Rosé, Kamptal, Austria.
As a long time fan of Schloss Gobelsburg, going back 20 years, I always get excited to try their wines and their dry Cisterien Rosé, made from mainly Zweigelt, but with St. Laurent and Pinot Noir, is a favorite. Winemaker Michael Moosbrugger, inspired by the 850 years of winemaking here and what the original Cistercian monks did here, crafts his offerings in tribute to them, with a beautiful set of wines, including classic dry Riesling and Grüner Veltliner, along with this tasty Rosé, some sparkling wines and a few reds. The Cisterien Rosé, sourced from a selection of cool climate sites in the Kamptal region and set on loess soils, is vibrant and steely with ruby grapefruit, sour cherry, tart strawberry and peach fruits on the bone dry, spicy and zesty light bodied palate, along with faint rosewater, wet stone and herb accents. This delicately pale salmon hued Rosé is wonderful all on its own, especially as a refreshing aperitif, but can easily be enjoyed with a variety of cuisine choices and goes great with sea food and Summer inspired menus. I highly recommend searching this one out, and I can’t wait to try the new 2023 vintage soon, plus I suggest grabbing Gobelsburg’s classic Kamptal Grüner, which is a very savvy value every vintage.
Schloss Gobelsburg has a long history, founded at the site of the Zwettl Monastery, which dates back to 1074, and the Monks of Zwettl were granted their first vineyards a hundred years later, including Heiligenstein & Gaisberg, the oldest documented sites in the Kamptal, alongside the Danube. The estate and Castle Gobelsburg, according to the winery, was controlled by as many as 19 different families between 1074 and 1740, and in 1786 it absorbed the famous Kammern Winery and vineyards, becoming a powerhouse of quality wines within the region. Two hundred years later Eva and Michael Moosbrugger were granted the winemaking and viticultural contract here in 1996, which has proved a good choice and with the help and guidance of Michael’s mentor Willi Bründlmayer, the winery has regained its prestige and is considered to be a leader in quality and innovation, with a nod to organic farming and precision winemaking in the cellar. The estate does mainly a set of traditional bottlings of Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, with Michael having read the meticulous notations of the Cistercians (monks) at the estate over the past 150 years, and he pays homage to them in his role as cellar master here at Gobelsburg, making very authentic and naturally inspired wines. I admire the the crystalline purity and clarity of terroir in these Gobelsburg wines and this one did not disappoint, it is a fine effort, well priced, that is a great alternative to mass production Rosés stack up at the big box stores.
($18 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive