Karthäuserhof

Trier-Eitelsbach, Ruwer, Germany

Karthäuserhof is one of the great estates of Germany, with a complex and storied history that dates back centuries. Carthusian monks founded the property, a Hof, or working farm, in 1335, making it one of the oldest estates in Europe (the 8th oldest in the world, according to them). Recent findings, dating back to Roman times, show that a settlement with viticulture likely existed at Karthäuserhof even before the establishment of the monastery. Much like its neighbor, Maximin Grünhaus, wine was made and consumed by the monks continually for almost 500 years. Following secularization under Napoleon, Karthäuserhof was auctioned off in Paris in 1811. Valentin Leonardy, a Francophile, bought the estate and the property has been in the same family since, first as the Rautenstrauchs, then as the Tyrells and now as the Behler family.

The jewel in the crown here is the famed Karthäuserhofberg vineyard, a 19-hectare monopole site all in one block, with a mostly south and southwest-facing exposition. The site, on the right bank of the Ruwer, is open to the west, closed to the east and consists of reddish soil covered with weathered gray slate. It's an iron-rich soil which is ideal for wine. The vineyard is planted almost entirely to Riesling on original rootstock. The Karthäuserhofberg vineyard has obviously been highly regarded for centuries and is featured in the famed Prussian Saar und Mosel Weinbau-Karte of 1868, a tax map for the district of Trier, where it is listed under the name Kartauserberg.

Karthäuserhof produces a range of styles, from prädikat level Kabinetts, Spatlesen and Auslesen, to off-dry feinherb wines, to their famed Grosses Gewächs trocken wines. The wines are known for the ability to age and maintain a remarkable freshness throughout. The style at Karthäuserhof, especially with the trocken wines, emphasizes a classic interplay of minerality, acidity and fruit, that creates a breathtaking energy and an almost electric tension.

The distinctive neck label, which has since been trademarked and has contributed to the wine’s fame. Is said to have originated when Wilhelm Rautenstrauch, the first owner after the Carthusians, would secretly meet in a back part of the garden with a gazebo to drink wines and play cards with friends. To keep the bottles cool, he would stand them up in the Eitelsbach brook that runs by the property into the Ruwer. The problem was that the labels would regularly come off from the bottles. To remedy this, he had the brilliant idea of having just a neck label, which has adorned bottles of the Karthäuserhof for more than 100 years ever since.

In 2020, Mathieu Kauffmann, formerly chef de cave at Bollinger and later responsible for the organic conversion of the Von Buhl estate in the Pfalz, was hired as technical director. He has been instrumental in streamlining the range of available wines and, most importantly, beginning the process of converting the entire estate to organic viticulture. As of 2022, 30% of the vineyards are fully organic.

The following is only a selection of the wines that we carry from Karthäuserhof. Please contact your salesperson for a complete list of current wines on offer from the estate, including magnums of library vintages of Karthäuserhofberg GG.

Our Selections

Karthäuserhof Riesling Trocken Bruno 2020

Bruno is a new line of well priced Rieslings from Karthäuserhof. The name is an homage to Bruno from Cologne, the founder of the Carthusian order, whose monastery is the origin of the estate. Made from grapes grown in steep vineyards in the Mosel and Ruwer valleys with optimum exposition on slate soil. The grapes for the Bruno Dry were harvested by hand in early October and gently pressed. In the cellar, the wine was fermented with as little intervention as possible. No fining and all natural sedimentation.

Refreshing, spicy, floral nose of grapefruit, yellow peach, and green apple. Nicely balanced on the palate with hints of juicy ripe fruits and a zesty, herbal and spicy finish. Bottled in a classic blue/green hock bottle with a screw cap.

11% Alc., 4.3 g/l RS, 6.4 g/l acidity

Review of 2019 Vintage: “The wine opens like a classic Ruwer Riesling with delicate slate and floral aromas. Playful, perfectly round and fruity on the palate, this is a light and filigreed yet quite intense Riesling with ripe and elegant acidity and spring-like floral aromas on the aftertaste. A wine for sunny Sundays. Excellent. 11.5% alcohol. Tasted from AP 09 20 in March 2021. 90 Points” - Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate, April, 2021

Karthäuserhof Riesling Karthäuserhofberg GG 2018

The famed monopole Karthäuserhofberg vineyard faces south by southwest and covers almost 20 hectares. It stretches up to 254 meters above sea level with gradients of up to 55%. The unique microclimate of the area, plus the distinctive Devonian slate soil, has created the ideal combination for producing unforgettable Rieslings.

The grapes for the 2018 VDP Grosses Gewächs come partially from the “Kronenberg” site, the oldest plot within the vineyard, with ungrafted vines that are more than 70 years old. Very ripe and healthy grapes were carefully brought to the cellar, then gently pressed after a few hours of skin contact. The fermentation took place under a controlled temperature of 16-19 °C in stainless steel with natural yeast. After several months on the fine yeast the wine was filtered and bottled in August 2019.

This is a stunning dry Riesling featuring notes of apple, pear, lemongrass and green tea. It has a delicate palate with nice minerality, complexity and a long finish.

Karthäuserhof Riesling Eitelsbacher Alte Reben 2020

“The 2020er Riesling Trocken Alte Reben, as it is referred to on the neck label, was made from fruit picked on at least 30-year-old (and up to 70-75- year-old) vines in the Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg which was matured until June in a mix of stainless-steel tanks and Stückfass (1,200-liter oak barrel). It offers a superbly delicate, complex, and refined aromatic and flowery nose of herbs, almond, vineyard peach, spices, herbs, and a hint of yellow fruits. The wine is delicately textured and refined on the smooth yet also finely chiseled and spicy palate. The finish has more opulence, despite the label only indicating 11% of alcohol. Earthy spices and good grip, as well as a hint of fruity elements, round off the experience in the aftertaste. This needs a few years to develop even more complexity and will prove a great dry Riesling to enjoy with food. 2024-2035 92 Points.” - Mosel Fine Wines, September 2021

Karthäuserhof Riesling Kabinett Bruno 2021

Bruno is a new line of well priced Rieslings from Karthäuserhof. The name is an homage to Bruno from Cologne, the founder of the Carthusian order, whose monastery is the origin of the estate. Made from grapes grown in steep vineyards in the Mosel and Ruwer valleys with optimum exposition on slate soil. The grapes were harvested by hand in early October and gently pressed in the cellar with no fining and all natural sedimentation.

A wonderfully aromatic Riesling Kabinett with notes of yellow fruit and citrus on the nose. The palate is harmonious and balanced with the signature tension of sweetness and acidity that makes Kabinett wines from Karthäuserhof so easy to drink.

9% Alc., 27 g/l RS, 9.4 g/l acidity

Review of 2020 Vintage: “Notes of gun flint, smoke and chalk lend a spine tingling mineral edge to this zippy, salt-struck Riesling. Feinherb, or just a whisper sweet in style, it's a lip smacking, addictively quaffable sip juxtaposing pert grapefruit and lime against a steely frame of acidity. Irresistible young but should hold through 2025. 91 Points”- Editor’s Choice - Wine Enthusiast, 12/1/21

Karthäuserhof Riesling Trocken Schieferkristall 2020

Schieferkristall, meaning slate crystal, is 100% estate Riesling from steep vineyards along the Ruwer (a tributary of the Mosel) with a unique microclimate and distinctive Devonian slate soils. Gentle pressing, followed by fermentation in stainless steel under controlled temperature and long lees contact for almost six months. The Schieferkristall features a delicate yet dense apricot aroma and a polished slate tone. Pure, fresh and vital on the palate, it is a substantial, tightly structured yet juicy and persistently aromatic Ruwer Kabinett (though it is not declared as such for ask-the-VDP reasons) with tension and a stimulatingly salty finish. More serious, complex and structured compared to Bruno.

Schieferkristall, which has been available as a dry Kabinett for about 20 years, will remain a classic dry Kabinett in the future, only now it will be sold as a VDP estate wine, not as a Kabinett. "The Schieferkristall never had more than 11.5% alcohol, but in 2020 we deliberately went down even to 10.5% alcohol," says Grosche, adding: "So little alcohol tastes nowhere so full and juicy in dry wines as on the Ruwer and on the Saar.” - Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate

Karthäuserhof Riesling Auslese Karthäuserhofberg 2019

“The 2019 Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Auslese is excitingly precise, pure and aromatic on the nose that is populated with tropical stone fruit, passion fruit as well as grapefruit aromas. Round, light, crystalline and piquant on the palate, this is a gorgeously lush and moderately sweet Auslese with an irresistible character. This Auslese is based on perfectly selected berries and raisins and is a highlight for the Ruwer district from the 2019 vintage. So delicate and light, yet at the same time, so intense and charmingly round. A fantastic Auslese. 8.5% alcohol. 94 Points” - Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate, April, 2021