2015 Schloss Gobelsburger Gruner Langenlois

Who: Michael Moosbrugger
What: 100% Gruner Veltliner
Where: Langenlois, Kamptal, Austria
Tastes Like: Aromas of cedar, jasmine, and lime peel.  Medium-minus, coats the palate but has a short finish.  Gorgeous, unique combination of tropical citrus with oak-derived creaminess.
Pairs With: Life.  But really, brussels, any pizza, the lobster fra diavolo, Red Sauce Sunday…...

The Who:
SCHLOSS GOBELSBURG, a Cistercian monastic estate, is one of the oldest wineries in the Austrian Danube area with a documented history that dates back to 1171. All the vineyards are located on slopes and terraces around the valley of the river Kamp near the town of Langenlois and the village of Gobelsburg. Schloss Gobelsburg specialises in Grüner Veltliner and Riesling and produces authentic and noble wines from different single vineyard, village and regional appellations. The winery is member of the association 'Österreichische Traditionsweingüter', which is working on a vineyard classification project for the Danube area.

Since 1996, the winery has been run by Michael Moosbrugger (Falstaff Winemaker of the Year 2006, Golden Glass Sweden 2007). As a winemaker, he is particularly interested in the vineyard’s most important varieties, Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, which exhibit very different characteristics. Besides the classic Kamp valley wines, which are bottled in the GOBELSBURGER series, Mr Moosbrugger also focuses on different soil types that are represented by single vineyard wines (SCHLOSS GOBELSBURG). The latest development is the study of winemaking during the winery’s past eras, from which the Grüner Veltliner tradition has evolved. At the Gobelsburg estate, the tradition of 19th-century vinification is both incorporated and honoured

The Wine:
Langenlois is the centre of the appellation Kamptal and is one of the historical and cultural centers of wine in Austria.  The gentle hills around the historical city are known for producing wines of great quality.  Loess--Alpine material sedimented over the past 2 million years--is the fundamental component of this wine.  Soil expression is of the utmost importance, and the wine is made from grapes on the younger vines in some of the Weingut’s finest vineyards.  The wine is harvest late in October, and ages in mostly steel with some Austrian Oak casks until March, when it is bottled.