RIESLING UNPLUGGED: IN AN AGE OF MASS PRODUCTION THE 'UNPLUGGED IDEA REPRESENTS AN APPRECIATION OF MANUAL CRAFTSMANSHIP - DR MARTIN TESCH
It smells and tastes of apples, petrol/mineral, limes and a bit of stonefruit too (but not botrytis). In the mouth bright, tight and particularly minerally and spice laden with great penetration and flavour and a good crisp dry finish. I can’t stop drinking it which is a good sign (although I had better stop). Do I like it better than the previous vintage? I can’t be sure but at the moment I think I do. This offers remarkable value for an import. Drink : 2008 - 2011 93 points Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
Quite forward on the nose, but shows some attractive stone fruit aromas. The palate is decidedly dry, but the flavours linger on a lemon-twist finish. Recommended Winewise, Volume 25 Number 1 April 2009
For whites, I like the Riesling "Unplugged" Tesch Nahe/Germany because it shows a great complexity with clean fruit and spicy minerals. NEW YORK POST, Tasting Tips from America's Top Sommelier Aldo Sohm
A thirst-quenching dry Riesling. Tesch are one of a new breed of winemakers, not afraid to challenge the traditional image of German wine. Spicy and fragrant this is the perfect introduction to the world’s greatest white grape variety. Tate Online
Behind Riesling "Unplugged" is the philosophy of controlled environmental-friendly viticulture (such as exclusive use of compost to conserve soil moisture), selective reading of hand, minimal technology in the wine cellar (eg no measures to increase the alcohol content.
Tesch is a family owned wine estate in the Nahe region in Southwest-Germany. The estate has been owned and run by the Tesch family since 1723, and is specializes in producing Riesling wines with a very specific and lively character. The estate endeavour to produce a wine that is not only excellent to drink, but is a perfect compliment for food. Tesch is ranked among the German top estates by national and international wine competitions.
The famous Riesling wines are produced in only top vine yard locations in the Nahe region such as called "Königsschild", "Löhrer Berg", "Krone", "Karthäuser" and "St. Remigiusberg". All vineyard sites of the estate are classified to produce a Grosses Gewächs (Grand Cru).
Langenlonsheim is one of the oldest and largest wine growing villages in the Nahe region. It is located five miles from the Rhine, and the region is very lucky to share the Rhine valley climate. In contrast to the famous sites of the Rhine valley, the vineyards got shield from harsh west wind by surrounding hills, which leads to a different character compared to the Rhine counterparts.
Dr. Martin Tesch, which got his title in microbiology, started to work in the parental wine estate in 1996. After his father retired son Martin got the possibility to reconstruct the entire estate. He changed everything. With 2001 Tesch produced his new modern stile Riesling for the first time, the Riesling Unplugged. "In a time of mass production Unplugged represents the return to the basics" Tesch explaines. And continues "the wine is basically ready if you chop off the grapes, in the cellar you just convert sugar into alcohol". Unplugged is a pure dry Riesling bottled without any fining or filtration.
With 2002 Tesch changed his entire wine collection. He stopped producing any medium dry or sweet Rieslings, changed Labels and reduced his whole collection to 5 single vine yard wines plus the brand like Unplugged and the Dr. Tesch "R" a Riesling in a 1Liter size bottle. He established colour codes, an already familiar method to differ products, but never that consequently used with wine.
His LÖHRER BERG is green like an apple, the KRONE is yellow like the sun and the KÖNIGSSCHILD is blue like the deep blue see. The KARTHÄUSER is brown like weathered rocky deep soil and the ST. REMIGIUSBERG is blazing red like lava from a Vulcan.
Riesling "UNPLUGGED"
The introduction of "Unplugged" marks the beginning of a fundamental change in Martin Tesch’s wine-making philosophy. In developing this wine, the estate set a new trend which exceeded all expectations.
"DRY RIELSING UNPLUGGED – THE PHILOSOPHY"
"In a time of mass production and standardisation of taste, DRY RIESLING UNPLUGGED represents a return to the basics of authenticity, balance and complexity." (Martin Tesch)
Dry Riesling UNPLUGGED is what one might call a naturally made wine. True craftsmanship is called for. Everything is done by hand. Great value is placed on environmental-friendly viticulture. The wine is not treated in any way – no must concentration, no chaptalisation. It is left to ferment for as long as necessary and when fermentation stops, it stops. The process is not interfered with in any way – no blending, no sweetening. The wine simply becomes what it is destined to be.
The result is an excellent, light Riesling, as genuine and pure as it can be. The nose is typical – intensely mineral with a pleasant Riesling fruit. The palate is refined and elegant with a medium body and clear expression. The finish is long and aromatic with a refreshing acidity.
The majority of wine drinkers associate the expression "unplugged" with pop, rock and jazz concerts. Unplugged music is played without the use of electronic amplification and technical manipulation. The audience knows that unplugged music is "handmade" – more authentic, more individual and much quieter than that experienced in regular concerts. Martin Tesch applies the same principle to wine. The consumer instinctively knows which methods have been adopted to make DRY RIESLING UNPLUGGED and has a perception of its taste. The wine drinker expects a handcrafted wine which is absolutely pure. DRY RIESLING UNPLUGGED truly fulfils these expectations.
You can either love or hate the new labels of this winery - but nobody is indifferent to them. That is the reaction Martin Tesch expected, and it will not sway him. He is extremely conscious of vineyard character, one of the most dedicated in Germany. His range includes five dry Riesling spatlese wines, all being picked at the same time, and all wine being similarly vinified. What speaks to you is the terrior. Gault Millau, The Guide to German Wines
