THE
GREAT RIESLINGS OF F.E. TRIMBACH
David
Furer, C.W.E. (11/15/02)
I began my career
in the wine business in 1991 at a small off-license
(wine shop) in Bath England. While there I saw much
of the West Country, but made it to London only when
I returned to the US- and then only the drab confines
of Gatwick Airport. A few months ago, while in
Germany, I received an invitation to visit an old
friend from Chicago who had recently taken a job as a
sommelier there and to see the city. I filed it away
as "something to do later". Later came
sooner than I expected when the UK-based Circle of
Wine Writers sent notifications to its members of a
guided tasting of the Trimbach family's Frederic
Emile and Clos Sainte Hune Rieslings. The opportunity
to try a vertical representation of these wines is
rare, so London here I come.
Accompanied by said
friend, Michael Davis, now manager of Rules
Restaurant, we made our way from Earl's Court to
Soho's private Groucho Club via one of London's
famous red double-decker buses. Thanks to the
guidance of Mike D., this was to be one of the very
few tourist actions I took during my 3 days here.
After finding our way through the serpentine hallways
and numerous rooms of the club, we were welcomed by
Jean Trimbach, responsible for the UK market, and his
uncle Hubert, whom I had met a few times before and
who is responsible for the US. The room was perfectly
set for a tasting-no smells, no visual or aural
distractions, and we sat beside the sunny window for
best viewing of the pale wines.
Circle member and
specialty wine shop owner Frank Ward organized the
tasting. "I' ve tasted and drunk the wines of
Trimbach for 25 years" shared Mr. Ward.
"Between the two Rieslings we're tasting here
today, the Clos Sainte Hune is more homogenous and
complex with great vinous integrity." Both of
Trimbach's top Riesling vineyards are pruned for an
optimum of 60 hectoliters/hectare, and normally
harvested at 50-60hl/ha. Since 1995, both wines have
been harvested at a minimum potential alcohol of
12-14%. The Trimbach house style is considered to be
the one of the driest in Alsace. Though they respect
their colleagues' choices to make the sweeter style
now so popular in Alsace, the four Trimbach men
emphatically have no wish to suit fashion by
changing. Cultured yeasts are used (OG8 and Grand Cru
for the hefe-heads), with a little fining and
filtering with kieselguhr (diatomaceous earth). Both
wines are rarely chaptalized, the last time being in
1979. The wines are fermented and stored in stainless
steel, glass-lined, and temperature-controlled wooden
vats. The wines taken off the lees early, while some
batonnage on the fine lees is practiced if the
vintage is a healthy one. Both wines are normally
released about 5 years after the harvest.
The Cuvee Frederic
Emile Riesling is harvested from a SSE facing
vineyard directly behind the family's Ribeauville
home. The soil is a limestone upon sandstone, the
vines planted at a density of 5000 per hectare, with
the average vine age at 40 years.
Considered by many
to be the greatest Alsace Riesling, Clos Sainte Hune
is surely one of the finest Rieslings in the world.
The first vintage was made in 1919, and the Trimbach
family continues to be its sole proprietor. It comes
from a 1.3 hectare, southeast facing plot near
Hunawihr. Here the soil is nearly 100% calcaire, with
the 20-50 year old vines planted at a density of 6500
per hectare.
RIESLING
TASTING NOTES
Reserve
1998 - A warm-up wine from a combination of
of 30-year-old estate vines and purchased fruit. A
bright straw-green appearance with a delicate nose of
spring flowers and chalk. Light-medium body, medium
acidity, simple palate. Earthy, round finish that is
surprisingly a little expansive.
Frederic
Emile 1998 - A ripe vintage, 30% of the
grapes for this FE were affected by pouritture noble,
or botrytis, comparable to the stellar 1989 vintage.
Star bright with a pale, straw-green appearance.
Complex nose of starfruit, anise, and apricot.
Light-medium body witha tight, fine acid backbone.
Very good balance. Excellent grip and a hint of earth
on a medium length finish. 5.4 grams per liter of
residual sugar, 13.4% alcohol
Frederic
Emile 1997 - Though very ripe, 1997 was a
particularly dry year during harvest. Star bright,
pale yellow-green. Concentrated nose of lanolin, lime
skins, clementines, wet stones. Medium body, focused
and still wound-up. Rich, long, and slightly warm
finish. 4.2 grams per liter of residual sugar, 13%
alcohol
Frederic
Emile 1995 - Though 1995 saw a lot of rain
and dampness in autumn, the well-drained slopes kept
the grape swelling to a minimum. Star bright, pale
yellow-green. Lime, green plums, and stone aromas.
Medium body and focused with vibrant, clear acidity
and a juicy orange flavor. Clean, expansive and a bit
tart on the finish. Just beginning to openup. 5 grams
per liter of residual sugar, 13% alcohol
Frederic
Emile 1990 - A perfect vintage for dry
Alsace wines. Star bright, pale yellow-green
appearance. Unusual, but enticing nose of
strawberries, caramel and carrots. Firm, balanced,
medium body with acidity playing a more supporting
role. Rich flavors of pineapple and green apple.
Finishes rich and long with earth and root vegetable
flavor. Complex and still developing. 3.6 grams per
liter of residual sugar, 13.5% alcohol
Frederic
Emile 1979 - With the last of the harvest
completed on 25 November, a bit of botrytis is to be
expected. Shimmering green-gold color. Very mature
and complex, earthy aromas of fried plantains, cooked
carrots, and crystallized ginger. Medium body and
acidity with an orange note and an earthy, almost
meaty quality. Though the fruit is fading on the
finish, it is being replaced by earth and clean
acidity. 3 grams per liter of residual sugar, 12.5
Clos Sainte
Hune 1998 - Harvested with 15% of the grapes
botrytised. Star bright, pale yellow-green.. Intense
chalky aroma. Fine, light and immensely restrained.
Fantastic structure. Finishes expansive and
mineral-packed. 3 grams per liter of residual sugar,
13.5% alcohol
Clos Sainte
Hune 1995 - Star bright, green-gold color.
Due to the botrytis it is showing a grapey character
with hints of mineral and lilacs. Medium-full body,
still tight. Expansive, mineral-laden finish with
hints of lemon and green apple.
Clos Sainte
Hune 1990 - A benchmark year, a benchmark
wine. Star bright, straw-green appearance. Complex
array of aromas-lime, clementine, pine, white peach,
linden flowers. Full-bodied and complex, just
beginning to open with waves of tree fruits and
minerals. Powerful, very long finish, oozing minerals
and ripe fruits. One of the 3 or 4 best wines I have
ever tasted, this brought tears to my eyes.
Outstanding. 5.6 grams per liter of residual sugar,
14.2% alcohol
Clos Sainte
Hune 1985 - A very cool vintage and
winemaker Pierre Trimbach's first. Shimmering
green-gold appearance. Complex nose of kerosene,
caramel, mint, red apple. Full-bodied and a touch
mature with complex flavors of pear, caramel,
truffle, and lime. Rich and expansive with a hint of
fresh bread, crisp acidity.
Clos Sainte
Hune 1976 - A drought year with low yields
and stressed out vines. Star bright, gold-green
color. Low intensity aromas, hints of pine and
lanolin. Medium body and acidity, mature and simple.
Dusty, clean finish. Considering the vintage it is
holding up well.
Frederic
Emile Vendange Tardive 1989 - Starbright,
straw green appearance. Apple, pear and hazelnut
aromas. Light-medium, delicate sweetness with good
corresponding acidity. Filigreed, clean acidity with
a playful, lingering sweetness. 21 grams per liter of
residual sugar, 13.3% alcohol
Frederic
Emile Vendange Tardive 1998 (barrel sample)
- Star bright, straw green appearance. Aromas of
walnuts, dried apple and rubber. Medium bodied with a
delicate interplay of sweet and sour sporting pear,
plum, and rose flavors. A baby. Buoyant acidity,
delicate sweetness and a haunting, long finish. 26
grams per liter of residual sugar, 13.4% alcohol
Frederic
Emile Selection de Grains Nobles 1989 -
Harvested exclusively from vines planted in 1941 with
70% of grapes botrytis-affected, the next vintage to
be produced will be from 2000. Shimmering green-gold
robe with aromas of dried apple and latex. Sweet
entry, slightly viscous with a salad of fruit
flavors. Medium body and acidity. Very fine texture.
Still young at 12 years, the long finish is
punctuated by flavors of marzipan and dried
pineapple. Outstanding. Over 100 grams per liter of
residual sugar, 12.3% alcohol
After the tasting
we were treated to lunch by the Trimbachs. The Pinot
Gris Reserve Personelle 1995, served first
as a lovely aperitif, would have worked better with
the Tuna Carpaccio with fresh ginger & chives
were it not for the aggressiveness of the
accompanying soy sauce. The Gewürztraminer
Cuvee Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre 1998 melded
marvelously with the Asian Halibut with Jasmine Rice,
while the GW Vendange Tardive from
the same vintage played excellent aromatic
counterpoint to the not too sweet creme brulee. The
final wine for the day was a 1967
Gewürztraminer Selection de Grains Nobles
made from individually hand-harvested berries. The
128 oechsle was an Alsace record for the time. The
wine, still holding a vibrant core of acidity, hinted
at toffee and burnt orange. While not Riesling, it
did manage to rush through the wide array of flavors
already lingering on my palate, and gently pull the
curtain on a memorable day.
Trimbach wines are
imported into the US exclusively by Diageo Chateau
& Estate.
Maison
Trimbach
15 route de Bergheim
68150 Ribeauville
France
Telephone: +33 03 89 73 60 30
Fax: +33 03 89 73 89 04
www.maison-trimbach.fr
David
Furer has written for The Drinks Business, Wine
& Spirit International, Sommeliers
International, Wine Enthusiast, Sante, and Barfly
magazines and taught at the University of
Chicago. He is a Certified Wine Educator and a
Master Sommelier candidate.
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