The vineyards of Eitelsbach, named after a nearby tributary of the Ruwer, were first mentioned in writings circa 1223. Over a hundred years later, in 1335, Prince-Elector Balduin of Luxembourg gifted an estate on the land to the monks of the Carthusian order. The monks founded it as an official winegrowing estate and cultivated wine for almost 500 years.
By 1803 the estate was secularized and passed into the hands of the French government. Eight years later it was sold to the highest bidder: Director General Valentin Leonardy of the French army.
Since 1811, the Karthäuserhof has been passed down from generation to generation within a single family. The current owner, Albert Behler, represents the seventh generation of the Leonardy / Rautenstrauch / Tyrell / Behler family to uphold the stellar international reputation of the Karthäuserhof, which it has held for the past 200 years.
Few commercial entities can claim such a long and distinguished history. There are only 80 such companies in the world older than Karthäuserhof, and of those only seven winegrowing estates.
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