Martin Tesch is tenth generation of his family making wine. Formerly in the VDP, the estate left that organization because, Martin explained to me on a visit in Langenlonsheim some years ago, his program for marketing his wines did not fit well. Nevertheless, the single vineyard wines here are the equivalent of top Grosses Gewächs wines; the Nahe chapter of the VDP, which does not feature any other ownership in this corner of region, is the poorer for the estate’s absence.
As Martin Tesch expects that his customers drink the basic Unplugged first and leave the individual vineyard sites to age for a few years, there is a touch more residual sugar in the individual vineyard site wines than in the Unplugged, and the wines will become even drier with a few years' time.
2019 or 2020 (which will be reviewed in my following post)? It’s largely a question of style, but both are excellent vintages here.
2019 Riesling trocken Unplugged
When Martin started making Unplugged, he intended a wine that was not easy to approach, and indeed, he lost 40% of his accounts within six months. But eventually, the wine caught on, as it deserves. Crisp, bone dry, pure, precise, nervy, and nobly austere with lemony fruit. Screw cap closure. 12.0% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 06 20. 93/A
2019 (Langenlonsheimer) Löhrer Berg Riesling (trocken)
Nervy, pure, slightly earthy citric fruit with a hint of cherry. The wine is medium-full yet light on the palate. The finish is long and crisp. This is a vineyard of loam and gravel soils. Screw cap closure. 13.0% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 09 20. 92/A
2019 (Laubenheimer) Krone Riesling (trocken)
This is a light, pure wine with citric and apricot flavors and refreshing, but elegant, acidity. The little bit of residual sugar noticeable here will resolve in a couple of years. The vineyard faces southeast and the soils are weathered red sandstone and light loam. Screw cap closure. 12.5% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 07 20. 92+/A
2019 (Langenlonsheimer) Königsschild Riesling (trocken)
Constantly changing, complex aromas of grapefruit, lemon, chipped stone, and flowers. Light, pure, crystalline, perfectly focused in mouth with long, deep citrus flavors. The wine’s acidity gives liveliness and causes salivation. Extraordinary length and finesse. This vineyard here is on limestone and chalk soils mixed with loess and river loam. Screw cap closure. 12.5% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 08 20. 95/A+
2019 (Laubenheimer) Karthäuser Riesling (trocken)
From weathered red sandstone soils, I find a bit more body and spice here than in the Krone, and plenty of grapefruit and incipient apricot aromas and flavors plus a little strawberry thrown in. As with the other 2019s, a few more years in bottle will be beneficial to allow the sugar/acid balance to come into better focus, but the wine can be drunk now. Screw cap closure. 12.5% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 04 20. 92/A
2019 (Laubenheimer) Remigiusberg Riesling (trocken)
Finally, the Remigiusberg shows excellent depth and density along with a slight chalkiness in the mouth. Incipient white peach aromas and flavors and maybe a hint of apricot, too, promise much more for those willing to cellar the wine for 3-5+ years. The soils are weathered volcanic rock and iron-rich clay, providing for the most structured of the wines, but with elegance still. Screw cap closure. 12.5% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 05 20. 93/A