The Princely Wine Cellars of the Prince of Liechtenstein

René Gabriel was already raving about the wines from the The Princely Wine Cellars of the Prince of Liechtenstein and so we also became aware of them. Together with estate manager Stefan Tscheppe, we tasted the series and then again blind in a neutral environment. We were completely convinced by the quality on both occasions and were able to secure an allocation of the very limited production.

The Hofkellerei des Fürsten von Liechtenstein operates vineyards both in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, and in the Lower Austrian municipality of Wilfersdorf in the Weinviertel. Stefan Tscheppe has been at the helm since the end of 2008 (his previous positions include Weingut Esterhazy in Burgenland and Perry Creek in California). Princess Marie von und zu Liechtenstein, who was born in Graz, is the family manager. A good 20,000 bottles are produced annually by Liechtenstein.

The Herawingert monopollage with four hectares on slate and limestone soils forms the core of the production. The average age of the vines is around 45 years. The vineyards are planted with 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay. They are currently converting to certified organic methods. Processing takes place directly in the Hofkellerei Vaduz. Mainly Dijon clones are used, as well as Mariafelder clones for the Pinot Noir AOV Vaduz. Since the 2019 vintage, the majority of Pinot Noir has been aged in 500-litre barrels, while Chardonnay is produced in a mix of steel tanks and wood, with malolactic fermentation depending on the vintage requirements. Hannah Fiegenschuh from Derenoncourt Consultants has been advising the Hofkellerei since 2018.