For the Cistercien Rosé, the Zweigelt and St. Laurent grape varieties grown in the cooler sites of Gobelburg and Langenlois are used. After the harvest, the grapes – still with their stems – are softly pressed and then fermented. This type of rosé is somewhat similar to a white wine because no acid reduction is used to emphasise the fine fruity character with a streamlined elegance. Its fragrance and fruit nuances of wild cherry and fresh berries make this Rosé an optimal universal food companion.
The Zwettl Monastery was founded in 1074 and in 1171 the Monks of Zwettl were granted their first vineyards: Heiligenstein & Gaisberg–the oldest documented sites in the Kamptal. The estate and Castle Gobelsburg was controlled by as many as 19 different families between 1074 and 1740, and in 1786 absorbed the famous Kammern Winery and vineyards. Two hundred years later Eva and Michael Moosbrugger were granted the winemaking and viticulural contract in 1996, and with the help and guidance of Michael’s mentor Willi Bründlmayer, the winery has regained its prestige and considered to be a leader in quality and innovation. In 2006 Michael Moosbrugger was awarded as ‘WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR’ by the Austrian magazine Falstaff, the highest award given to an Austrian winemaker, and in 2009 and 2010 the estate was acknowledged as ‘ONE OF THE TOP 100 WINERIES OF THE YEAR’ by Wine & Spirits Magazine.
Delicate pear fruit, a touch of quince and white peach come through the elegant and lightly flowery wine. The wine offers beautiful balance and some body as well as early harmony, restrained pineapple in the background, and very earthy, lively acidity on the finish.
A blend of fruit off younger vines in Lamm, Grub and Renner, this is not Moosbrugger’s most complex wine by far, but it’s thrilling in its vivacity. It smells like textbook grüner, earthy and lentil-like; it tastes of citrus, pears and Mirabelle plums, with a bright, thirst-quenching immediacy. Round yet sleek, vibrant and floral, it lasts with energy. A wine to buy by the case.