History
Gobelsburgs history of settlement goes back beyond 4000 years, which is documented by Celtlic ceramics shown in a vitrine of the Gobelsburg cellars.
The castle was first mentioned in a contract dated 1074 in relation to Azzo de Gobatsburich, Earl of Kuenring. The Monastery of Zwettl – also a Kuenringer foundation of 1138 - in the northern parts of lower Austria is today the owner of the property. But till the 12th century the fortress remained in the belonging of the Kuenringer family but changed hands until 1740 to as many as 19 different families on the estate and castle Gobelsburg. The last aristocratic owner - Freiherr Achaz Ehrenreich von Hohenfeld - instigated the alterations of the Renaissance manor house of the 16th century into a handsome Baroque chateau in the first half of the 18th century. On the 17th of September 1740 Ehrenreich sold the property for 40.000 Gulden to the monastery of Zwettl, which had already a Manor estate in Kammern since 1171. With the purchase important vineyards on the Gobelsburg side (Steinsetz, Haide, Redling) were added to the existing vineyards on Heiligenstein, Gaisberg, Renner and Lamm. When in 1784 the old Manor in Kammern burned down, the two properties were brought together at Schloss Gobelsburg.
In the beginning of the 19th century the cellar capacity is reported to be of 1410 Eimer, which is about 85000 liters of wine, partly brought to the monastery and sold there, partly sold from the castle. The wines were named either after their origin (Nussberger, Zöbinger, Gobelsburger) or for their use (Messwein, Conventwein, etc). Since the middle of the 19th century estate bottling is reported, but the biggest share is sold in small casks.
Until 1930 the wines of the winery in Nussdorf (Vienna) were also brought to Schloss Gobelsburg. Due to the difficult economical situation in the late twenties the property was then sold to the monastery Schotten in Vienna. The Manor, which is very similar in form and appierence to Schloss Gobelsburg, is still existing. Between world war one and two the castle was also used as a summer camp for apprentiships. During world war II French soldiers were imprisoned and left the castle 1945 in a devastated state and emptied the vinothek with the reserves back to the last century.
Father Bertrand Baumann – a monk of the monastery, who took over in 1958 – was an extraordinary winemaker. He not only achieved to establish the ‘altar wine’ as an Austrian Classik, he also established the winery as the leading winery of the area. The wines of the vintothek still show the great skill of this period of the winery.
Since February 1996 the estate is managed by Eva & Michael Moosbrugger. Michael originates out of a Hotel family in Lech / Arlberg (Hotel Post in Lech), but turned into winemaking after some years of Univerity and Hotel business. In 2006 Michael was awarded with the title ‘Winemaker of the year’ by the wine magazine Falstaff. In 2007 followed the ‘Golden Glass’ by the Swedish Food & Wine magazine Àlt om mat’ and ‘Alt om vin’ the first time for an Austrian winery.
Primary goal is to preserve, develop and bring the cultural heritage of Schloss Gobelsburg with its prime vineyards on the oldest documented sites of the area into a new generation.
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