Tesch Lohrer Berg Riesling Spatlese Trocken 2005
LOHRER BERG: FERTILE CLAY SOILS SHOT THROUGH WITH RIVER GRAVEL GIVE FRUITY RIESLING WITH GENTLY CHARACTER - DR MARTIN TESCH
Tesch - Best vineyards: Langenlonsheimer Löhrer Berg
Cask sample. Heavy clay with lots of water. Unstressed Riesling. Great lift and power. Long and juicy. Drink 2008-11 16.5/20 Jancis Robinson
Weingut Tesch has been in business since 1723. Current owner, Hartmut Tesch, is working to develop environmentally sensitive winegrowing techniques that are not only earth-friendly, but improve the quality of the wine as well. Tesch uses natural methods of controlling pests and disease in its top vineyard sites. These vineyards are rated as "first-class" vineyards (comparable to premier cru in France) in Stuart Pigott and Hugh Johnson’s Wine Atlas of Germany.
As a member of the VDP, Germany’s region-by-region association of the top wine estates, Tesch uses single-vineyard designations on its Rieslings only. VDP membership also requires that all single-vineyard fruit be hand-picked, with higher ripeness and lower yields than what is allowed by the German wine law. In addition, the wines must be approved by a stringent, blind-tasting panel. Riesling Report - The Voice of Riesling
The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) decimated the local population of Langenlonsheim. By the end of the war, there were not enough people to cultivate all of the farmland within the district. The vineyard sites on the hillsides near Langenlonsheim were equally affected and in fact cultivation thereof ceased altogether. Hence the hill acquired its colloquial name of "leerer Berg" (transl. Bare Hill). Later the name was changed to "Löhrer Berg". As of the mid-17th century, the vineyards were restored and vines re-planted. However, in accordance with the decree issued by the Bishop of Mainz at that time, Riesling was the only grape variety grown
Exposure: South-easterly
Soil: Fertile clay soils interspersed with river gravel
Character: Delicate, filigree Rieslings
Colour-code: The bottles have green capsules and labels
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.
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
Shipped in a temperature controlled container.
|
