Royal Prussian Estate Winery – Steinberger Riesling Cabinet 1893

The ‘Königlich Preuss’bottle . Domänenkellerei – Steinberger Riesling Cabinet 1893 is an extraordinary historical artefact of German wine culture and brings together several significant aspects: the Royal Prussian viticultural tradition, one of Germany’s most legendary vineyards and one of the greatest vintages of the 19th century.

🏛️ The Royal Prussian Domänenkellerei

The Domänenkellerei traces its origins back to Eberbach Abbey, which was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks in the Rheingau. Following secularisation in 1803, the vineyard initially passed to the Duke of Nassau, until in 1866 – following the annexation of Nassau by Prussia – it was taken over by the Prussian state as a Royal Estate and continued to operate until 1945 as the (Royal) Prussian Estate Winery.

Even at that time, the customer list of the Royal Prussian Estate read ‘like an extract from the European calendar of nobility’. Among its clients were Imperial Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the German Emperor and the Rothschild banking family.

🍇 The Steinberg vineyard

The Steinberg is the oldest, largest and most valuable vineyard estate belonging to Eberbach Abbey. This exclusive vineyard site in the Rheingau is entirely planted with Riesling and was originally surrounded by a wall up to five metres high and almost three kilometres long, which the monks erected in the 18th century to protect against grape thieves and wildlife.

The vineyard covers approximately 34 hectares, of which 32 hectares are planted with vines. The south to south-west facing slope features medium to deep, stony soil with good drainage – sandy-clay loam in the lower section and stony, gravelly slate soils in the upper section.

🏺 The meaning of ‘Cabinet’

The term ‘Cabinet’ (or ‘Cabinet Cellar’) has a centuries-old tradition at Eberbach Abbey. It dates back to the Cistercian monks of Eberbach, who stored and matured particularly valuable wines in a separate room – the Cabinet Cellar. The Cabinet Cellar was first mentioned in a document in 1736 and was used to store particularly precious wines from outstanding vintages.

The room, originally the ‘Fraternei’ (the monastery’s refectory) and a medieval scriptorium, has been documented as having been used as a wine cellarsince 1704. It is from these Eberbach ‘Cabinet wines’ that the ‘Kabinett’ classification – still enshrined in German wine law today – ultimately derives: a cultural and historical legacy whose influence extends far beyond the Rheingau.

The Cabinet Cellar is regarded as one of the oldest and most culturally and historically significant surviving rooms of its kind.

It is important to note that a ‘Cabinet’ wine from the 19th century is not automatically a Trockenbeerenauslese or a specific Prädikat classification. Rather, the term referred to an outstanding selection from the Cabinet cellar – the finest wines of a vintage, which were matured separately and with particular care. Depending on the vintage and must weight, a ‘Cabinet’ wine could be a Spätlese, an Auslese or even a noble sweet speciality.

🍷 The 1893 vintage

The 1893vintage is regarded as one of the greatest Rheingau vintages of the 19th century. Following on from 1811 and 1865, it was the third legendary vintage to boast very high levels of noble rot (Botrytis cinerea).

A historical source describes the 1893 vintage as exceptional: yields in Steinberg were low – just 28 bottles instead of the 62 achieved the previous year – whilst the must weights of the richest Auslese wines reached 130 to 150 degrees Oechsle. The 1893 vintage significantlysurpassed previous years .

A remarkable detail: the 1893 vintage of the Steinberger Cabinet is historically linked to Imperial Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. The ‘Iron Chancellor’ is said to have purchasedhalf of the entire production of that vintage – an extraordinary testament to the quality of this wine.

Furthermore, in January 1894 ,Emperor Wilhelm IIsent Bismarck a bottle of ‘Steinberger Cabinet 1842’ to aid his recovery from influenza – evidence of the legendary reputation of these Cabinet wines at the Prussian court.

📜 Classification of the bottle

The bottle you have mentioned is a Steinberger Riesling Cabinet from 1893 – a Cabinet wine in the spirit of the historic Eberbach tradition. The bottle, which is documented in auction and trade circles, is described as follows:

• Fill level: 0.5 cm – an exceptionally good fill level for its age

• Capsule and label: well-preserved

• Alcohol: 10 % vol

• Colour: white, flavour: sweet

• Grape variety: Riesling

• Region: Rheingau

• Volume: 750 ml

The wine treasury at Eberbach Abbey dates back to 1706 and still houses fine vintages from that era, which are among the most valuable wines in the world.

💎 Significance for collectors

This bottle is an exceptional collector’s item for several reasons:

• Royal Prussian provenance: wine from the period when the estate was under Prussian state administration – a historical era that came to an end in 1945.

• Legendary vintage: 1893 ranks among the three greatest Rheingau vintages of the 19th century and significantly surpassed previous years.

• Bismarck connection: The historical account that Bismarck bought up half of the vintage lends the bottle special cultural and historical significance.

• ‘Cabinet’ tradition: The term refers to the centuries-old practice of the Cistercian monks of storing only the very best wines in the ‘Cabinet’ cellar – the cradle of the German ‘Kabinett’ quality designation.

• Age and condition: A bottle over 130 years old with a documented fill level and well-preserved labels is a rarity.

For advice on condition, provenance and an expert appraisal – particularly with regard to insurance, sale or inclusion in a collection – it is advisable to consult specialist wine experts and auction houses.