Traditional winemaking
The early 19th century is interesting from a historic-vinous point of view. In their production methods vintners and cellarmasters could already look back on an empiric and monastic knowledge of almost 2000 years, on the other hand their labour was not yet industrialized. Only later, in the second half of the 19th century, people started thinking about increasing production and cutting their time investment, which led to innovation and new techniques like pumps, transforming the craftsmanship of winemaking into a modern form of wine production.
Grape processing
In the 19th century the processing of the harvested grapes would start immediately in the vineyard. Being carried out of the vine rows in „Butten“, a type of backbasket, the grapes would be poured into a crate beside the vineyard, where the crushing of the grapes would be done by means of a large wooden club. Therafter the mash was transported to the winery in open barrels. There it would be poured into the wooden press, where the stems and skins were discarded. From the press the must went without filtration directly into a fermentation barrel, where vinification startet spontaneously without temperature control.
Elevage: The raising of the wine
After the fermentation was done the raising or schooling started by racking the wine from barrel to barrel. That would happen 3-4 times in the first year of maturation, 2-3 times in the second and once every additional year of maturation. The timing of the first racking would depend on the quality and texture of the wine, but also on the features of the harvest and vintage. Maturation would last at least 3 years, but depending on the development of the wine, up to six years or even longer. Only when the cellarmaster approved with the achieved quality, the wine would be readied for sale and consumption.
Edition 852
International Wine & Spirits Awards: 97 points - Great Gold
VINOUS - Antonio Galloni 06/24: 96 points
Straw, wet stone, wax, dried peach and hazelnutty creaminess come together on the nose. Waxiness also defines the palate, in line with vivid concentration and bright, enduring, guiding freshness. The texture here is smooth but deepening, like liquid sinking into stone while retaining a bright, shining citrus freshness. (Bone-dry) - Anne Krebiehl MW
Edition 851
FALSTAFF Ultimate Wine Guide 23/24: 96 points
VINOUS - Antonio Galloni 11/23: 96 points
Cream, caramel, hazelnut, yeast and Spanish almond nougat all meet on the nose. The palate is smooth, nutty, and serene, almost with a hint of resin, on a frame that is almost all texture, almost all smoothness, almost all smooth nougat mouthfeel. This is utterly unusual, complex, incisive, long and, of course, bone-dry. Anne Krebiehl MW
Edition 850
FALSTAFF Ultimate Wine Guide 23/24: 95 points
ANDREAS LARSSON - TASTED by Andreas Larsson: 94 points
Bright light golden colour. Pure and complex nose blending ripe stone fruit with fresh butter, some grapey and citrus notes, fine oak underneath with some almond and pastry, feels mainly grüner. Very warm and embracing palate with good concentration and purity, an abundance if spicy yellow fruit and some nutty flavours with a very long and opulent finish, yet freshness is maintained all the way.
ROBERT PARKER - The Wine Advocate, 12/21: 98 points
Based on 2010 Renner Grüner Veltliner, with a 5% part of Gaisberg Riesling, the intensely yellow-colored NV Tradition Heritage Cuvée 10 Years Edition 850 offers a deep, pure, intense, concentrated, beautifully aromatic, spicy-floral and Traminer-like bouquet of white and yellow stone fruits, yellow rose petals as well as cloves, wax and refreshing flinty aromas. Rich, intense and highly elegant on the beautifully balanced and aromatic palate, this is a pure, vital, finessed and salty-mineral as well as tensioned and sustainable cuvée with a young, still tannic texture and remarkable oak and nougat flavors. This finely tannic 10 Years cuvée seems to be much younger and bottled from smaller barrels than the "3 years edition" sibling. There is no wine on this planet that is similar in style. The fruit is Austrian, very charming and irresistible, but the structure and texture builds the bridge to France—or more precisely Alsace and Burgundy, regions that Michael Moosbrugger adores but never would try to copy. Tasted at the domain in June and again at home in July and August 2021.