Wine Advisor
Trimbach, Riesling Clos Ste Hune 2012
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Description
The wine-growing history of Maison Trimbach dates back to 1626. Since then, twelve generations of winemakers have tirelessly drawn on their passion for Alsace wines, ensuring the wines they produce stand out for their quality and authenticity, patiently establishing, from father to son, a solid reputation for excellence. 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.
Cool, aristocratic and iron-rich on the nose where some flinty notes are displayed the 2012 Riesling Clos Ste Hune starts very pure and demanding on the nose. On the palate you can find as much energy and tension as in an electric power station. The wine is very clear, fresh and pure, shows lots of salt on the very elegant and seductive palate. The finish is very long and complex and indicates a terrific aging potential.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
Golden straw-yellow. Delicate but very deep and closed nose offers scents of green apple, ginger, white peach, lemon and smoke. Quite brooding today but already conveys sneaky concentration to its rich, gingery stone fruit and fusel flavors. Finishes dense and rich, but fresh, harmonius acidity and a saline edge keep the wine light and lively on the palate. This vintage of Clos Ste. Hune is marked by an especially strong diesel fuel note, which Pierre Trimbach believes is only minimally due to the warmer vintage and more so to the terroir. Moreover, Trimbach believes that with the increased use of gentler presses in the region, this early-onset fusel smell in Riesling wines will become less and less common. I am not a huge fan of petrolly young Rieslings, so I find this wine tough to judge today. But I do think this will be one of those vintages in which the quality difference between the Frédéric Emile and the CSH will turn out to be minimal.
Reviewed by: Ian D'Agata
Golden straw-yellow. Delicate but very deep and closed nose offers scents of green apple, ginger, white peach, lemon and smoke. Quite brooding today but already conveys sneaky concentration to its rich, gingery stone fruit and fusel flavors. Finishes dense and rich, but fresh, harmonius acidity and a saline edge keep the wine light and lively on the palate. This vintage of Clos Ste. Hune is marked by an especially strong diesel fuel note, which Pierre Trimbach believes is only minimally due to the warmer vintage and more so to the terroir. Moreover, Trimbach believes that with the increased use of gentler presses in the region, this early-onset fusel smell in Riesling wines will become less and less common. I am not a huge fan of petrolly young Rieslings, so I find this wine tough to judge today. But I do think this will be one of those vintages in which the quality difference between the Frédéric Emile and the CSH will turn out to be minimal.
About the Producer
Since 1626, the Trimbach family has been promoting the history, exceptional terroirs and fine wines of Alsace. Maison Trimbach is located in Ribeauvillé, where today three generations work closely together. Day-to-day operations are handled personally by brothers Pierre and Jean Trimbach, representing the 12th generation. Bernard and Hubert Trimbach, the 11th generation (father and uncle, respectively, to Pierre and Jean) remain integrally involved. Anne, the eldest of the 13th generation, has just joined the family business. The Trimbachs have a purist vision. Across 12 generations, the family has always produced wines that are structured, long-lived, fruity, elegant and balanced: the celebrated Trimbach style. Bottles remain in the cellar for several years before reaching the marketplace, ensuring the wines are both ready to drink upon release but also hold great aging potential.
