When it comes to anniversaries, it’s tradition to receive a ruby at 40 years, gold at 50, and diamonds at 60—but what about someone’s 850th? This is practically terra incognita, so when Schloss Gobelsburg hit that unprecedented milestone last year, they celebrated by releasing an impossibly rare, multi-decade masterwork that deserves “stuff-of-legend” status.

By utilizing their extensive library collection and small battery of cask-aged wines, they meticulously blended together nine distinct grape varieties and 31 vintages spanning 1970 to 2017. Just think about that for a moment: A world-class producer (winner of “Top 100 Winery” & “World’s Best Vineyards”) that’s been growing grapes in the sample locale for 850 years, and 50 of those can be experienced in a single bottle of wine. If sagas could be experienced in liquid form, today’s “Cuvée 50 Years” would be a shining example. So, if you can, please secure this jaw-dropping piece of history. This has been tightly allocated throughout the globe’s major markets, and we hardly have any to share. 

Schloss Gobelsburg is just one of those properties that make you stand back in awe: The Zwettl Monastery secured their first piece of grape-growing land in 1171, but the Gobelsburg castle that overlooks them dates back even further! From the time the monks were gifted these vines up until the 1700s, great change occurred here: a mixed bag of no less than 19 different families called the estate/castle home, they weathered immense financial duress, and they merged with another winery. Despite all this, Schloss Gobelsburg was considered one of the finest wine estates in Austria. However, due to both World Wars and Soviet occupation, it all fell into a state of disrepair. After the wars, it was Father Bertrand Baumann who restored Schloss Gobelsburg to its former glory, and, as of 1996, the property was acquired from the monks by Michael Moosbrugger and Willi Bründlmayer.

There are nine grape varieties in this special, one-time “Heritage” cuvée (Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Sylvaner, Sauvignon, Müller-Thurgau, Welschriesling, Muskat Ottonel, Traminer, Muskateller), and below you’ll see the 31 vintages that were incorporated in the final blend. Note that all vintages prior to 2000 had been bottled long ago, so they were gently uncorked in 2020, quality-checked, and then transferred into oak casks. The younger wines were already aging in casks. Following an untold number of tasting trials, the final blend was concocted and bottled in early 2021. 

The ’70s (11% of the blend)
1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1979
The ’80s (12% of the blend)
1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989
The ’90s (7% of the blend)
1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999
The ’00s (37% of the blend)
2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009
The ’10s (33% of the blend)
2011, 2013, 2014, 2017

Regrettably, we were unable to taste a bottle because these wines are so limited and had to be bought on pre-arrival. However, Michael Moosbrugger’s tasting notes are below: 

“Wine composed from vintages spanning the past fifty years is anything but common – quite out-of-the-ordinary, in fact. A wine of this sort invites many & various expectations. The colour does not tend toward green or orange, but rather shows a bright golden tone. Lifting the glass to the nose, a gentle bouquet reaches forth, somewhat difficult to identify. Is it Riesling? Might it be Grüner or Sylvaner; perhaps a hint of Sauvignon? A bit of each, actually. Tasting the wine, on the palate it expresses a mixture of substance and ease that is typical of Danube wines. Good structural acidity, medium alcohol content and a long, persistent finish: these are not the characteristics of a mere show-off, but add up to a wine that inspires great enjoyment for its subtle essence and effortless appeal. This is a very special wine for us, one that is worthy to represent 850 years of Austrian wine culture.”