2016 | Domaine Trimbach

The Trimbach family owns 57 hectares of vineyards including 1.67ha of Rosacker Grand cru (which produces the highly famed Clos Sainte Hune Riesling) as well as parcels of Geisberg and Osterberg (blended to make the equally renowned Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile) within the villages of Ribeauvillé and Hunawihr. Geisberg and Osterberg are located on the hill rising up behind the ‘new’ family winery on the edge of Ribeauvillé. Mandelberg the other Grand Cru vineyard is in Mittlewihr and lies below the slope of almond trees.

The family moved from their ‘old’ winery in Hunawihr in the 1890s. Grand cru sites make up 25% of the total production of the Trimbach family (compared elsewhere in Alsace where the Grand cru sites represent 4% of all production). Riesling is the principal grape grown. All the estate wines are farmed organically.

Sheltered by the Vosges Mountains and exposed to maximum sunshine, the Ribeauvillé fault line which fractured 50 million years ago offers a rich mosaic of soils that include limestone, sandstone, marl and clay. These natural assets provide the perfect conditions for an array of aromatic grape varieties, notably Riesling where Trimbach’s true passion lies. For them, Riesling has unequalled fruitiness, finesse, elegance, and pedigree which they believe make it the finest white wine in the world. The incredible capacity for these wines to age has made the family’s most famous reserve wines, Clos Sainte Hune and Frederic Emile legendary. I have recently enjoyed wines from the 1970s which have been incredible in the same way as our old bottles of Raveneau Chablis become; acidity is a wonderful preservative!

Trimbach wines acquired true international acclaim in 1898 when Frédéric Emile Trimbach received the highest distinction at the International Wine Fair in Brussels. This success is due in no small part to the jewel in the estate’s crown, the «Clos Sainte Hune» vineyard. Today, the family vineyard is run by Jean and Pierre Trimbach. Pierre’s daughter Anne, the oldest member of the 13th generation handles the sales with her uncle Jean, while Jean’s son Julien is taking over the technical side from his uncle Pierre. Our selection