Trimbach wine 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 Hubert Trimbach, his nephews Jean and Pierre, and Pierre’s daughter Anne, the oldest member of the 13th generation. Their enthusiasm and ambition keep the family’s tradition, rigor and know-how alive, bringing their wines to the very peak of perfection.
Pierre has been in charge of the technical side and vinifications when Jean and Anne are traveling all around the world. Julien, Jean’s son, just joined the Family to work closely with Pierre in the cellar. This unrivaled expertise makes the Trimbach style a reference for Alsace wines across the world.
Two turrets overlooked by the surrounding vines, a few meters from the heart of Ribeauvillé, pinpoint the F.E. Trimbach estate. Situated on the Wine Route, between the vineyards and the mountains, this pretty village, boasting a rich historical heritage, asserts itself as the center of Alsace winegrowing and cuisine.
Sheltered by the Vosges Mountains and exposed to maximum sunshine, the Ribeauvillé fault line offers a rich mosaic of soils (limestone, sandstone, marl, clay, etc.). These natural assets provide the perfect conditions for an array of aromatic grape varieties.
While the Trimbach family extols the virtues of all Alsace grape varieties, their true passion lies with Riesling as its unequalled fruitiness, finesse, elegance and pedigree make it the finest white wine in the world! The 40 hectares that make up the Trimbach estate stretch over more than 50 parcels and 6 villages, including Bergheim, Ribeauvillé and Hunawihr.
The Trimbach estate strives to produce high quality wines by using integrated, sustainable winegrowing practices. This is demonstrated with the winery’s focus on preserving nature; close pruning, innovative techniques for maintaining healthy vines, tilling the soils, producing moderate yields, and meticulous selection of the grapes used in each wine.
This rigor, applied to the property’s own vines, is also applied when the Trimbachs purchase grapes from growers loyal to the estate. This is one of the many tasks carefully overseen by Pierre.
On the Trimbach estate, the grapes are harvested exclusively by hand. They are then delicately pressed before gravity gently carries the juice to the cellar. It is here where the meticulous work of Pierre Trimbach (12th generation) begins as he vinifies and matures his wines with precision and finesse, constantly mindful of conserving the purity of the particular grape variety and the soul of the unique terroir.
Old wooden casks are used alongside stainless steel tanks, a harmonious example of tradition and modernity working together in the winery. Trimbach wines are bottled in the spring following the harvest to ensure freshness and fruitiness are exemplified in each of the wines. Pierre’s thirtieth vintage in 2009 is a testament par excellence to his tireless dedication to viticulture and oenology.
Pierre Trimbach’s art is one of ensuring balance, as demonstrated by his innate ability to control his wines’ acidity while retaining the “tension” which holds them together over time. This style is highly acclaimed by lovers of dry and elegant wines who recognize purity, the character of each grape variety, the nuances of the vintage and the authenticity of the terroirs… a particular characteristic which proudly enhances the most audacious gourmet experiences.
After being bottled in spring, the wines are released on the market according to their maturity. Some will not leave the cellars until they have spent five or seven years patiently maturing in the bottle…the time needed to achieve this highly-coveted, perfect balance.
After the first steps onto the European stage at the end of the 19th century, from the 1960s Hubert Trimbach ensured that the renown of his wines was developed and extended even further afield. Today the Estate exports more than 85% of its wines, wines which are much sought after by connoisseurs of dry wines across the whole world. The Trimbach signature enjoys a highly coveted place on an array of prestigious wine lists at the finest gastronomic restaurants in Alsace, France, Europe and on all five continents.
The sommeliers who place their trust in the family’s wines are fully aware of the estate’s secret – the rare balance between fruitiness, acidity and minerality which can guarantee the successful pairing of food with wines. The range created at the estate gives rise to a host of possible gourmet alliances. From traditional Alsace cuisine to French, Asian or Oriental gastronomy, the wines of Pierre Trimbach are the perfect solution in the search for the ideal matching of food and wine.
Riesling “Cuvée Frédéric Emile”
The south and south-east facing Ribeauvillé terroirs and Grand Crus of Geisberg and Osterberg which overlook the winery have been producing this wine for several generations. Not mentioning the Grand Cru on the label was our choice back in the 70’s. Today, CFE is considered a benchmark of Grand Crus Riesling even though the labels does not say the names of the vineyards. It is our Signature wine.
The average age of the vines, 45 years, results in limited yields. The marl-limestone-sandstone and fossil-flecked Muschelkalk composition of the terroir, as well as the beautifully ripe grapes selected and harvested at the end of October lend this wine a remarkable personality: a dry and powerful Riesling, underlined by a mineral note and firm ripe acidity.
This wine is named for Frédéric Emile who became famous for providing a new guarantee of quality and authenticity for Trimbach in 1898. The prestigious signature wine of the house, the “Cuvée Frédéric Emile” is highly prized by connoisseurs and collectors.
Pinot-Gris “Réserve Personnelle”
In exceptional years, a selection of the best parcels (including Grand Cru Osterberg) produces a wine of great maturity, opulence with succulent fruit. The long development of the wine is synonymous with its long ageing potential, 10 years and more. This highly complex, broad and voluptuous wine, retains its structure thanks to its vitality.
Gewurztraminer “Cuvée des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre”
The predominately “Keuper” marl-limestone soils on which it is produced lend this rare wine a full and powerful style. Produced from old vines from the former wine estate of the Lords of Ribeaupierre, the grapes are selected and harvested at the peak of their ripeness. It is a wine with flowery and spicy aromas and a dry personality, and yet so rich and so fruity that it almost hints at sweetness … a mere illusion. In youth, the roundness and viscosity can mask its typical dryness as well as the underlying finesse which is the Trimbach trademark. This Gewurztraminer is only produced in the very best vintages and it can be cellared for ageing for up to 20 years.
The Prestige and Collection Wines include the following:
Riesling Clos Ste Hune
This exceptional wine is a product of the terroir in the “Rosacker” vineyard, located in the village of Hunawihr. This parcel of land, which stretches over 1.67 hectares, has been in the Trimbach family for more than two hundred years. The south, south-east facing vines are on average 50 years old and lie on a predominantly limestone subsoil. These factors give this Riesling a unique flavor of remarkable fruit concentration, enhanced by a refined hint of minerality on the finish. After a few years of ageing, the typical characteristics of the “Clos Sainte Hune” terroir vibrantly shine through the glass. The small annual production of 8,000 bottles on average, makes this wine an extremely rare treasure, much sought after by Riesling lovers and collectors across the globe. Trimbach’s Clos Sainte Hune wine has an exceptional ageing potential as it can age seven to ten years after bottling without even reaching its peak.
“Vendanges Tardives” – Late Harvest Wines
Reserved for the four noble grape varieties; Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling or Muscat grapes, picked when over-ripe a few weeks after the official start of harvest. The grapes, generally affected by noble rot, are selected from only the best vineyards and only in exceptional years.
The “Vendanges Tardives” wines retain natural residual sugar which is in perfect balance with their delightful freshness. These wines are wonderfully intense and have an exceptional finish. The Vendanges Tardives Gewurztraminer, very fruity and charming, boasts a delightful purity. It is often served by the glass due to its delicious freshness and its harmonious balance. The “Cuvée Frédéric Emile Vendanges Tardives Riesling, much rarer, is the treasure which all Riesling lovers dream of having in their cellars.
“Sélection de Grains Nobles” Wines
The even rarer “Sélection de Grains Nobles” (selection of noble berries), results from the selective picking of each grape which has been shriveled by noble rot. This harvest is only conducted in perfect weather conditions. Thanks to botrytis these exceptionally luscious wines boast a unique aromatic complexity and offer a surprising ageing potential.
The Riesling, but more often the Pinot Gris and the Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles are produced in very small quantities and only in the very best years. The Sélection de Grains Nobles Gewurztraminer is without a doubt an exceptionally food-friendly wine – it evokes the flavors of mirabelle plum tart, ripe pear and quince, honey and fig, while remaining perfectly balanced thanks to the natural acidity which is a result of noble rot.
There is also a Grands Crus Collection, a new collection of Grand Cru Rieslings:
Riesling Grand Cru Geisberg
We have been leasing the Vineyards of the Convent of Ribeauvillé for several years now. In 2009, we have produced our first Grand Cru Geisberg. 2011 is the second vintage to be released. Pierre Trimbach and his team have been working the Grand Cru Geisberg behind the domaine for years, this one being assembled with GC Osterberg into the famous Frédéric Émile. Their knowledge of this terroir has enabled them to produce a great wine on these 2,66 ha from the Convent.
The Geisberg is a jewel of Alsace. Located in between two other Grands Crus on Ribeauvillé’s fault line, the limestone and sandstone subsoil, the old vines, the exposure to the sun and the small steep terrasses make it a very unique and complex terroir of only 8.5 ha total. The wine is intense and has a great energy. A gastronomic wine able to age between 10 to 30 years in the top vintages.
It is the first wine from a Grand Cru named after its terroir, following the wish of the Nuns of Ribeauvillé’s Convent and the new local GC Legislation from 2011 onwards, which is now well defined by a very precise chart managing the yields (55hl/ha max), the minimum potential alcohol at picking being 11,5°, chaptalisation being forbidden, etc…
Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg
In 2012, our Family bought 2 ha of the well reputed Grand Cru Schlossberg. The first vintage produced is 2014, an excellent vintage for pure and crystalline Rieslings. It’s the beginning of a collection of Grands Crus Rieslings at Trimbach, next to our jewels, Frédéric Emile and Clos Ste Hune.
Grand Cru Schlossberg has a granitic terroir: granite from Thannenkirch above Ribeauvillé and granite migmatite from Kaysersberg. Planted in horizontal terrasses, south facing, located next to the castle, just under the forest, the vineyard benefits from a cooler microcosm. This Riesling is delicate, dry, precise and able to age for at least 10 years.
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