Karthäuserhof 'Bruno' Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Germany 2022

Karthäuserhof is one of the most esteemed estates in the Mosel, with a history dating back to the 14th century. Known for producing exceptional Rieslings from its steep, slate-rich vineyards, the estate focuses on biodynamic farming and minimal intervention in the cellar. Their wines are celebrated for their balance of vibrant acidity, delicate fruit, and complex minerality.

• WINEMAKER: Mathieu Kauffmann
• FARMING: Sustainable with Organic practices, working toward organic certification
• VARIETY: 100% Riesling
• TERROIR: The grapes are grown in steep vineyards in the Mosel and Ruwer valleys with optimum exposition on blue slate soil.
• VINIFICATION: Harvested early October, all grapes are picked by hand and gently pressed. In the cellar it is done as little intervention as possible. No fining, all natural sedimentation, only sulfur added at bottling.
• AGING: Stainless steel
• TASTING NOTES: Refreshing, spicy and floral nose of grapefruit, yellow peach, and green apple. Nicely balanced and playful on the palate driven by juicy fruits. With an intense and animating feel in the zesty, herbal and spicy finish.
• Alcohol: 9,5% vol 
  

From our July 2022 Explorer Club Notes

Karthäuserhof | Bruno Riesling Trocken | Mosel, France | 2019

    Wine is living history. Karthäuserhof is one of the oldest wine-growing estates in Germany, and in fact, is the eighth oldest in the world. We are in the village of Eitelsbach, on steep slopes overlooking the Ruwer River Valley in eastern Germany.  There is archeological evidence that Romans once cultivated the vine here, and the vineyards of Eitelsbach appear in records as far back as 1223. In 1335, Prince-Elector Balduin of Luxembourg bestowed this land in the village of Eitelsbach, overlooking the Ruwer Valley, to the Carthusian order of monks, and for 500 years, they cultivated the terraces creating wines to be enjoyed in the sacrament by the Christian order. By 1803, huge change swept through Western Europe; the estate was seized by Napoleonic troops, secularized, and made the property of the French government, wherein in 1811 it was auctioned off to the public. Valentin Leonardy, General Director of the French Army, purchased the estate and it has been handed down over seven generations. One extended family kept up quality and control even though the political borders surrounding it changed through the centuries, from Napoleonic French control to the rise and fall of the Kingdom of Prussia, the unstable times of the Weimar Republic, the monstrous autocracy of the Third Reich, through the post-war democratization of Western Germany, and the reunification and modernization of Germany as we know it today. Throughout it all, the name Karhäuserhof remained the same, a reminder of where it all began: Karthäuser = Carthusian, hof = farm. 

    Traditionally, the Rieslings of Karthäuserhof are meant to store away for decades for them to release their full potential. But with this bottling, the Bruno, the estate has created a vineyard blend for an early-drinking, quaffable, and dry Riesling that can be enjoyed anytime. We love the hints of lime and green apple, river rock minerality, and the aroma of the earth just before it begins to rain. Pop a bottle with your favorite Thai takeout or crush it at lunch with fish tacos. Either way, enjoy the ability to keep it simple and delicious with such a historic estate! —Cara Patricia