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Trimbach
Trimbach have a wine-making history stretching back almost 400 years, the firm having come into existence in 1626. It was not until the late 19th century, however, under the leadership of Frédéric-Emile Trimbach, that the business began to really expand. Success came when he exhibited the wines at an international fair in Brussels in 1898, to much acclaim. Since it's creation time it has remained a family run business, based in Ribeauville, with brothers Bernard and Hubert at the helm, today assisted by their sons, Jean and Pierre. They currently own vineyards scattered over three villages, with an emphasis on planting Riesling and Gewurztraminer. The plantings include vines in the Grands Crus Rosacker, Osterberg and Geisberg.
Trimbach has a great
reputation for Riesling, the Clos Ste Hune (from a
1.3 ha lieu-dit within Grand Cru Rosacker) and the Cuvée Frédéric Emile (from Grand Cru Osterberg) probably
being their best known wines. Many regard the Clos Ste
Hune as the finest wine of Alsace, if not one of the
world's greatest white wines. Production is certainly limited, with typically
less than 600 cases per annum. Cuvée Frédéric Emile, bearing the name of
history's most significant Trimbach, which is produced from vines of over 30
years of age, also has an excellent reputation, as well as being more affordable
and widely distributed. Trimbach also produce
excellent Gewurztraminer, particularly the Seigneurs de
Ribeaupierre and the Reserve wines. The former is a very ripe - but
still dry - perfumed, aromatic style made in only the better years. The Trimbach style is
bone dry and even a little austere, unlike many producers
in Alsace who leave a higher degree of residual sugar to
fatten and slightly sweeten the wine. This may make the
wines less immediately seductive, but I find it does make
them excellent food wines.
Trimbach are not particularly known for their red wines, but they do produce a basic Pinot Noir as well as a Reserve Personelle, as well as basic cuvees of many of the typical Alsatian varieties, including Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner. Last, but certainly not least, are the late harvest wines. Trimbach produce both Selection de Grains Nobles and Vendanges Tardives wines, made from Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris or Muscat. These make a departure from the classic Trimbach style as they exhibit residual sugar and possibly also characteristics of noble rot, but they still have the necessary acidity to maintain balance and freshness. (21/4/04)
Contact details:
Address: 15 route de Bergheim, 68150 Ribeauvillé
Telephone: +33 (0) 3 89 73 60 30
Fax: +33 (0) 3 89 73 89 04
Internet:
www.maison-trimbach.fr
Trimbach - Tasting Notes
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Trimbach Gewürztraminer 2000: Served blind. Fairly pale wine. A
classic Gewurztraminer nose - floral, heady and perfumed, but with an almost
medicinal cough-candy note. On entry it is quite full, a touch fat, with
typical perfumed lychee fruit. Where's the acidity? I found none to
oppose the sweet richness on the palate. This wine seems completely out
of balance. Not a style that suggested Trimbach to me. 12/20 (September 2003)
Trimbach Pinot Blanc 1999: A pale golden
wine. Spiced pears and a touch mealy on the nose. The
palate is soft and quite rounded, with a touch of creamy
fatness. It's very much in the Trimbach style, quite dry, somewhat elegant,
without any great richness. The acidity is soft and unobtrusive, and there are
some pleasing pear, fruit salad and mineral flavours. A strong vein of peppery
spice comes through on the midpalate, persisting through to the finish. This
would make a good food wine, but I prefer Pinot Blanc when the vigneron has
extracted a greater depth of flavour and richness from it. 15/20 (November 2001)
Label
Trimbach Muscat Reserve 1999: A pale colour. On the nose there are
quite delicate aromas typical of Muscat, with some orange peel, floral fruit and
just the barest hint of spice. Bone dry. Although it has some floral fruit as
the nose suggested it might, it has none of the weight or texture associated
with a touch of residual sugar that suits Muscat so well. It is so dry that it
seems unbalanced, otherwise the delicate fruit seems well married with the 12%
alcohol. 15.5/20 (August 2001)
Label
Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Emile Riesling 1998:
From a half bottle. A pale colour. Lovely, open, expressive nose, with notes of
crushed rocks and smoke alongside the lime fruit. The palate is fresh, very
approachable, with soft, prickling acidity. The fruit profile is a touch more
exotic than usual. Less structured and age-worthy than the 1997, but more
approachable right now, admittedly from a small format. 16.5+/20 (August 2004)
Trimbach Cuvée
Frédéric Emile Riesling 1997:
A lovely golden hue, and a nose of lime sherbet with a creamy edge. Very open
and forceful, but full of citrussy nuances. Attractive, light-footed,
sherbetty-creamy, dry but rich, with very firm, defining acidity. A soft texture
nicely interwoven, although there is a hardness on the sherbet-tinged finish and
this wine clearly needs to integrate a little more. As I promised myself last
time, I shall try to leave well alone. From a tasting of the
1997 Vintage at ten years
of age. 17+/20 (December 2007)
Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Emile Riesling 1997: Just a couple of
years since I last opened one of these and there doesn't seem to have been a
great deal of development here; the nose still has a lovely, vibrant, laserlike
presence of lime fruit, but with the suggestion of a creamy depth, all presented
in a very open but precise, well defined style. The same precision is on the
palate, which has good freshness of fruit and plenty of youthful grip. Just
crying out for more cellar time and I will do my best to oblige. A
Christmas Wine. 17+/20 (December 2006)
Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Emile Riesling 1997:
Securing a fresh stock of this wine at a bargain price prompted me to open a
bottle, although previous tastings have suggested that this is a wine for the
long haul. A pale, lemon gold in the glass. A wonderful nose, very pure, with
lime fruit and a hint of cream. The palate has brilliant acidity behind a
similar purity of fruit, but with a creamy richness that just sings quality
developing through the mid to ndpalate. Beautiful drinking, but also will be
super in the cellar - for another five to ten years plus. 17+/20 (August 2004)
Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Emile Riesling 1997:
A very pale wine, with just a hint of lemon gold. Classic
youthful Riesling on the nose, with an abundance of lime
and lemon fruit, and an edge of blossom. There's also a
note of richness, like freshly buttered toast.
The palate is fresh and sharply flavoured, with more limey
fruit, but there is an appealing richness and weight to it,
which builds through the midpalate. The acidity keeps it's
presence, however, and takes on a fresh, almost tingling
sherbet-like edge on the finish. There is great structure here,
and the potential to develop very nicely with age I feel.
17+/20 (January 2002) Label
Trimbach Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives 1997: Pure, aromatic, spicy
Gewurztraminer character on the nose, which also strongly suggests a good degree
of residual sugar. No surprises on the palate then, which has plenty of aromatic
fruit, low acidity and a superb texture. Wonderful stuff. 18/20 (February 2002)
Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Emile Riesling 1996: A moderately coloured
golden wine. At first the wine shows as expected - somewhat ungiving on the
nose, with straightforward lime aromas with a honeyed streak developing before
long. The palate has a good balance, and although very tight at first it opened
out after an hour or so to reveal a honeyed richness along with the lemon, lime
and even tropical fruits. With another hour or so the wine develops aromas of
caramel and toffee, and the palate relaxes into a more nutty, caramel honey and
lime profile. This wine seems very forward for its age, with a suggestion of
oxidation. Possibly a faulty cork? 16?+/20 (July 2001)
Label
Trimbach Riesling 1995: A yellow golden wine. The nose
has stacks of limey fruit, with a waxy, lanolin edge. A
rounded mouthfeel on the palate, with more waxy notes
giving a richness to the wine. Good balance, with lots of
juicy acidity, and a steely austerity that is typical of
Trimbach. There is plenty of lemon and lime fruit, and a
very slight nuttiness towards the endpalate, with coffee
bean complexity on the finish. 16/20 (January 2001)
Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Emile Riesling 1993: A pale colour:
Intense nose, with lime, honey and steel. Fresh, full bodied, a touch alcoholic,
but nicely structured, with a spice and steel edge to a grippy palate. Intense,
quite youthful floral-edged flavours. This has much better grip and acidity than
my last tasting which seemed unbalanced - perhaps that was just an awkward
stage? From a 1993
vintage ten year on blind tasting.
17.5+/20 (December 2003)
Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Emile Riesling 1993:
A rich, golden hue, with a nose of honeyed apricots and
pears. On the palate, the overall impression is one of a
rich, creamy, weighty wine, fermented out to an
attractive, high alcohol state with good fruit and a
spicy flourish. The one item missing from the list is
acidity, which the wine seemed to lack. A shame. I have a few more, so it will be
interesting to see how they develop. 16?+/20 (January 2001)
Trimbach Gewurztraminer Reserve 1990: This is a
moderately coloured, golden yellow wine. On the nose, a
rich aroma of fat, ripe, honeydew melons is immediately
apparent, and some typical Gewurztraminer spicy notes,
with a faint touch of gingerbread. Moderate weight on
entry to the palate, developing real spice through the
midpalate, with good fruit and moderate acidity. Being
critical, the endpalate seems somewhat hollow, and there is a dominant flourish
of sharp, slightly bitter spice on finish. I think this suggests that this wine
needs drinking up. 15.5/20 (August 2001)
Label
Trimbach Tokay Pinot Gris Selection de Grains Nobles (Alsace) 1986: From a half
bottle. A glorious, deep golden colour. The nose exudes powerful richness, yet
is bright and vibrant, with aromas of botrytis, quince, minerals and golden
syrup. Very fresh on entry, even displaying some elegance through the midpalate.
Rich, botrytised, honeyed, mineral fruit. This is mouthfilling and impressive,
but so vibrant and balanced. Lovely finish with a super length. 18.5/20 (August 2004)
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