Trimbach Clos Sainte Hune Riesling 2018
Domaine Trimbach, nestled in the heart of Alsace, France, was first established as a winery in 1626 by Jean Trimbach, who settled in Riquewihr and began the Trimbach families winemaking journey. Over four hundred years, through 13 generations the family's passion for viticulture has been unwavering. Relocating to Hunawihr in the 1840s, and settling in Ribeauvillé after World War I, where the winery is based today. Each generation continually honed their craft, ensuring Trimbach's enduring legacy in the world of wine, in particular Alsatian Rieslings.
Domaine Trimbach's dedication extends beyond exceptional wines. Committed to sustainable practices, they have achieved certified organic status for all 63 hectares of their vineyards. These vineyards, spread across the picturesque villages of Ribeauvillé, Hunawihr, Mittelwihr, Kientzheim, and Turkheim, benefit from diverse terroirs, infusing each wine with unique characteristics.
Domaine Trimbach's most renowned wines are the Clos Sainte Hune and Cuvée Frédéric Emile Rieslings. The legendary Clos Sainte Hune hails from 1.67 hectares of the prestigious Rosacker Grand Cru vineyard. Renowned for its elegance, minerality, and exceptional aging potential, this Riesling is a legend among aficionados. While Clos Sainte Hune was first produced in 1919, the first vintage of Cuvée Frédéric Emile was not released until 1967. The fruit is sourced from a contiguous vineyard plot that straddles the Grand Crus of Geisberg and Osterberg, overlooking the Trimbach winery and the town of Ribeauvillé. And with a few more hectares of vineyard behind it, Cuvée Frédéric Emile finds its way into the wine lists of top restaurants all around the world. Indeed, at last count it was listed in 25 Michelin three-star restaurants in France alone.
The Riesling Clos Ste Hune is a truly exceptional wine, grown on the Grand Cru Rosacker in Hunawihr, with a terroir that has belonged to the Trimbach family for over two hundred years. Covering 1.67 hectares, the vineyard benefits from a south, south-east exposure on a subsoil dominated by Muschelkalk limestone and yellow limestone, giving the wine a specific fragrance and remarkable concentration of fruit, enhanced with a refined hint of minerality at the end of the palate and an incredible length. With a small annual production of just 7,000 bottles on average, the Riesling Clos Ste Hune is a precious wine coveted by wine lovers and collectors worldwide. This high-class dry wine is racy, refined and elegant, with very ripe fruit and a very pronounced minerality that gives it its unique character. It has a signature of its own that is transcendent in great vintages, inspiring dreams with its harmony and exceptional capacity for aging. The Riesling Clos Ste Hune is a wine with exceptional aging potential, reaching its peak only eight to ten years following its bottling. It is a wine that speaks to the Trimbach family's dedication to producing exceptional wines, and its reputation as one of the world's most respected winemaking families is well-deserved.
Clos Ste Hune, is a 4.12-acre historic vineyard in the Rosacker Grand Cru, belonging to the Trimbach family for over two centuries. The on average 50 year old vines are planted on cool Calcareous soil including the famed “Muschelkalk”, with a gentle incline and a high percentage of limestone. This allows this Riesling to develop a specific aroma with a wonderful concentration of fruits and minerality. Bottling is done early to preserve freshness (without oak ageing), and the wine rests in bottle in the cellar for approximately five years before reaching the marketplace, ensuring the wine is both ready to drink upon release but also can be cellared for many years to come.
An elegant, opulent, very pure and crystalline Riesling. Bone dry with a mineral backbone with wonderful energetic balance. Notes of yellow plum, quince, green pear, lemon verbena, apricot, and tropical fruit wrap around the stony, minerally core.
Pairs wonderfully with smoked fishes, trout, but also sea bass, Saint-Pierre (fish), dover sole, as well as poultry, goose, veal and pork dishes.
The bright-colored 2018 Clos Ste Hune Riesling shows an intense and very concentrated bouquet of ripe fruits and crushed stones. Muschelkalk limestone dominates the palate, which reveals a powerful, dense and still quite bitter Riesling whose compact phenols still cage this dormant Riesling on a stony and saline bed. The finish, however is very potent and long. - Robert Parker, 93+ Points.
The Finer Details
Style - White Wine
Varietal - Riesling
Country - France
Region - Alsace
Vintage - 2018
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14.5%
Other - Organic