Maria Hick took over this pocket-sized (approximately 6 hectares) estate near Spitz in 2003, arriving fresh from viticultural school in Krems. Her family has links to the property that go back 300 years; for most of that history the estate belonged to St. Peter's Stift in Salzburg. All changed in 1931 when Maria’s great-grandfather, who had been managing the estate for the abbey, bought it outright after the financial crash obliged it to cash out. Maria and her husband Manfred farm along organic principles (composting, pheromone-based pest control, alternate vineyard rows left unmown, sulphur held below 5.5 grams in production) and began formal certification in 2025. She has been making wines of exemplary quality since taking over, and has achieved increasing recognition in the Austrian wine press. The wines are sleek and pure, but show flashes of Wachau grandeur without excess. The prices are truly exceptional.