2015 Riesling

Pierre Trimbach, now with 45 vintages under his belt, reports that 2023 was even drier than 2022. “Even though we had a dry vintage, it did not bring us very high sugar levels, as the vineyards did not work anymore,” Trimbach said, referring to the vines’ metabolic shutdown resulting from a lack of water. “Sugar levels were not as high as in 2018 or 2022,” he added. The Trimbach harvest commenced on September 11 in “great weather, so there was no rush to pick the grapes. We finished after a month of picking.” The grapes were healthy, even though some fruit damaged by the dryness had to be sorted out. Trimbach states candidly that the domaine did not bottle all the wine it produced in 2023, with batches deemed not up to standard sold in bulk. Pierre Trimbach delivered a great collection in 2023 in his customary fashion. The wines are taut, bright and clean-cut, but with immense amounts of poise and charm. In 2023, the limestone sites clearly had the edge, and the Riesling Vignoble du Couvent de Ribeauvillé Geisberg Grand Cru is shaping up to become a perennial coup de coeur.

With roots in Switzerland and a presence in Alsace since the 16th century, the Trimbach family has shaped Alsace viticulture from the early 19th century onwards with the relentless pursuit of quality and bone-dry wines. They own 60 hectares/148 acres of vineyards and buy grapes from a further 20 hectares/49.5 acres, which includes vineyards they farm themselves and hope to be able to purchase in the future. Trimbach are known for two abiding classics of the region: Rieslings Clos Ste Hune and Frédéric Emile. The former is notably from Rosacker Grand Cru, the latter from the Geisberg and Osterberg Grand Crus. The house refused to label their wines as grand crus in a defiant stance against the often too generous delineations of some of these top vineyards. As of 2015, with the release of the 2009 vintage, however, the term grand cru also appeared on Trimbach labels. The tide has finally tipped over, and Trimbach now also has holdings in sites like Schlossberg, bought in 2012 and first made in 2014, after extending the domaine. The house is run by brothers Pierre and Jean Trimbach, the 12th generation of the family. By now, they are joined by the 13th: Anne Trimbach looks after export sales, Frédérique Trimbach is responsible for communications and design, and Pauline Trimbach looks after domestic sales. At the same time, Julien Trimbach works alongside Pierre as winemaker. “We put the same intensity in our work, whether it is Pinot Blanc or Geiseberg Grand Cru,” Pierre Trimbach says. “Three things matter: balance, balance, balance.” Trimbach is one of the steadfast stars in the Alsace firmament. The consistency of their dry style across grape varieties, the concentration and linearity of their wines and their Rieslings’ longevity, even at the entry level, renews their reputation with each new vintage.

The venerable Trimbach firm, located in Ribeauvillé, owns 60 hectares and is now among the five biggest private vineyard land owners in Alsace. Long staunch opponents of the Grand Cru system (which, when it was first unveiled, they felt, not unreasonably, to be flawed), the family is now bottling numerous wines from different grand crus, such as the Mandelberg and the Geisberg, and will likely release their first-ever Riesling Brand in 2018 (they bought vineyards there in 2016). They have also bought 0.1 hectares of roughly 50-year-old Sylvaner vines in the Trottacker lieu-dit and are very happy with the fruit it supplies. Incidentally, the new releases of the estate’s two most famous wines, the Riesling Cuvée Fréderic Emile and the Clos Saint Hune, are absolutely superb.

Trimbach is world-famous for its two iconic Rieslings, the Clos Ste. Hune and the Cuvée Fréderic Emile, but there are many other interesting wines in the estate’s portfolio. Their most important bottling in terms of sheer volume is their generic Riesling, but in fact there’s very little that's generic about it. “We’re undergoing a renaissance of Riesling," said Jean Trimbach in September. "We can’t seem to make enough, although in recent years we have noticed increased demand for our Pinot Gris as well.” It's worth noting that the Trimbachs are finally producing a bottling with the grand cru Geisberg indicated on the label; for the longest time, much like Hugel and Léon Beyer, the family refused to use grand cru names because they thought that many of these vineyards had been expanded to the point where they had lost their meaning.

Winemaker Pierre Trimbach believes that people worred too much about the 2012 vintage right from the start. “Some consumers may prefer the higher acidity of the 2013s, while others will enjoy the soft and juicy personalities of the 2012s," he told me.

Trimbach is world-famous for its two iconic Rieslings, the Clos Ste. Hune and the Cuvée Fréderic Emile, but there are many other interesting wines in the estate’s portfolio. Their most important bottling in terms of sheer volume is their generic Riesling, but in fact there’s very little that's generic about it. “We’re undergoing a renaissance of Riesling," said Jean Trimbach in September. "We can’t seem to make enough, although in recent years we have noticed increased demand for our Pinot Gris as well.” It's worth noting that the Trimbachs are finally producing a bottling with the grand cru Geisberg indicated on the label; for the longest time, much like Hugel and Léon Beyer, the family refused to use grand cru names because they thought that many of these vineyards had been expanded to the point where they had lost their meaning.

Winemaker Pierre Trimbach believes that people worred too much about the 2012 vintage right from the start. “Some consumers may prefer the higher acidity of the 2013s, while others will enjoy the soft and juicy personalities of the 2012s," he told me.

Trimbach will soon be releasing their first wine ever to carry a grand cru vineyard name on the label.The Couvent de Ribeauvillé has rented vineyards to them since 2008, of which more than two hectares are situated in the Geisberg grand cru (Trimbach now works about 60% of this grand cru), and the sisters at the time of the initial rental agreement asked that the name of the Geisberg appear on the label of the new wine.And so it will be named Vignoble du Couvent de Ribeauvillé Grand Cru Geisberg.The first vintage produced is the 2008 and Pierre Trimbach told me it will probably be released next year.Trimbach said that 2011 reminded him of 2000 because of the high temperatures recorded at harvest time, "though in 2000 we started harvesting slightly later.In 2011 there was a heat spell at the end of August, with an unbelievable 30°C on the day we started harvesting.I find that our pinot gris are especially good this year, balanced and pure."Not surprisingly, he is confident that the high-acid 2010s are real vins de garde. Also recommended:2011 Gewurztraminer (85), 2011 Gewurtraminer Reserve (86).

Trimbach will soon be releasing their first wine ever to carry a grand cru vineyard name on the label.The Couvent de Ribeauvillé has rented vineyards to them since 2008, of which more than two hectares are situated in the Geisberg grand cru (Trimbach now works about 60% of this grand cru), and the sisters at the time of the initial rental agreement asked that the name of the Geisberg appear on the label of the new wine.And so it will be named Vignoble du Couvent de Ribeauvillé Grand Cru Geisberg.The first vintage produced is the 2008 and Pierre Trimbach told me it will probably be released next year.Trimbach said that 2011 reminded him of 2000 because of the high temperatures recorded at harvest time, "though in 2000 we started harvesting slightly later.In 2011 there was a heat spell at the end of August, with an unbelievable 30°C on the day we started harvesting.I find that our pinot gris are especially good this year, balanced and pure."Not surprisingly, he is confident that the high-acid 2010s are real vins de garde. Also recommended:2011 Gewurztraminer (85), 2011 Gewurtraminer Reserve (86).

Also recommended: 2009 Muscat Reserve (86), 2009 Pinot Blanc (85), 2009 Gewurztraminer (85).

Also recommended: 2009 Muscat Reserve (86), 2009 Pinot Blanc (85), 2009 Gewurztraminer (85).

Pierre Trimbach rates 2007 as an outstanding vintage for Alsace. "I compare it to 2001," he told me. "The weather conditions were similar, with a great October leading to good noble rot at the end. The wines are very clean and focused, with very good acidity and nice sugar levels. It was the easiest vintage for us in 30 years because we could pick at our leisure. Of course, many growers started harvesting too early following their experiences in 2006." The earlier vintage is another matter: Trimbach describes it as "a bad year, like '91, '82 and '80." The family produced just one pinot gris and one gewurztraminer from this vintage, selling off much of the inferior stuff. "Some of the pinot gris fruit looked terrible," noted Trimbach. "The challenge was to get clean fruit in '06; grape sugars were not a problem." (Diageo Chateau Estate Wines, New York, NY) Also recommended: 2007 Pinot Blanc (86), 2006 Pinot Blanc (85), 2006 Riesling (86), 2006 Pinot Gris Reserve (86).

Pierre Trimbach's take on 2005 and 2004 is a bit different from that of some of his colleagues. He described the 2005 rieslings as classic wines with good acidity, and gewurztraminer and pinot gris too are rather classic in style. In comparison, he told me, 2004 has more of an exotic taste. He described it as like bouillon blanc, a white flower that grows in forests. (This flower shows scents of medicinal herbs and is used in numerous medications, including cough medicine.) Like a number of winemakers in Alsace, he warned me to be on the lookout for a mushroom taste in 2004 pinot gris. Problems with pinot gris grape skins, he said, are not always obvious at the time of the harvest. The mushroom element was more of a factor in 2004 than in 2005, he added, and in 2002 more than in 2003. The top 2004 rieslings at Trimbach are are quite fine-in my notebook at least as strong as the '05s. The '05s may be austere and backward but these '04s share a crystalline quality and compelling inner-palate energy. "We didn't have an especially big crop in riesling in '04," said Pierre, "and that's why these wines are so good." There were no classic late-harvest bottlings in 2004.

Trimbach continues to be the leading source in Alsace of vins de gastronomie one of the few remaining places to find truly dry wines that complement but do not overwhelm food.Vintage 2002 actually brought the smallest crop here since 1990 thanks to a serious green harvest, according to export director Jean Trimbach.Although my sentimental favorite at Trimbach is often the family's great Riesling Clos Ste. Hune, this is one address where it's often difficult to choose a favorite among the rieslings, pinot gris and gewurztraminers made from estate fruit.Following my tasting of the 2002s and 2001s, I was able to taste the finished versions of several of the family's top 2000s, an outstanding vintage chez Trimbach.Some of these wines have not yet been released.

Trimbach continues to be the leading source in Alsace of vins de gastronomie one of the few remaining places to find truly dry wines that complement but do not overwhelm food.Vintage 2002 actually brought the smallest crop here since 1990 thanks to a serious green harvest, according to export director Jean Trimbach.Although my sentimental favorite at Trimbach is often the family's great Riesling Clos Ste. Hune, this is one address where it's often difficult to choose a favorite among the rieslings, pinot gris and gewurztraminers made from estate fruit.Following my tasting of the 2002s and 2001s, I was able to taste the finished versions of several of the family's top 2000s, an outstanding vintage chez Trimbach.Some of these wines have not yet been released.

The Trimbachs, who sell 45% of their wine in the U.S. market, report that pinot gris is now their biggest seller. According to winemaker Pierre Trimbach, yields were high in '99 and '97, with 2000 more moderate, like 1998; production of gewurztraminer was especially low in 2000, he added. Acidity levels were roughly similar in '99 and '00, but the fruit in 2000 began with a bit more sugar. Some of the estate 2000 tokays, most of which were picked in the second half of September before the worst of the rains, came in with record levels of potential alcohol. Even the Trimbachs' tokay SGNs were from fruit harvested at the end of September and beginning of October. "Only the latest-picked stuff was vulnerable to gray rot," noted Pierre. "We love the hot years," noted export director Jean Trimbach, "because we always have a lot of acidity here, much more than in vineyards farther south."

The Trimbachs were starting to bottle their '98s in early May, beginning with the big wines in order to ensure that they did not sit in a warm cellar in the summer.This vintage featured higher-than-average acidity for riesling and pinot gris, but gewürztraminer acids were lower than those of '97.The '98 rieslings remind export director Jean Trimbach of '95, but winemaker Pierre Trimbach points out that pinot gris was difficult in '98 as crop levels were high and grey rot spread quickly after the October 1 rainstorm.Still, notes Jean, "everyone wants pinot gris today; riesling is too intellectual for most of the market."Incidentally, Jean and Pierre consider '97 a five-star vintage for both riesling and gewürztraminer, better than '98, '96 or '95.I have included notes on a few important current releases from vintages prior to '97.Trimbach remains one of Alsace few reliable sources of excellent dry wines.

The Trimbachs were starting to bottle their '98s in early May, beginning with the big wines in order to ensure that they did not sit in a warm cellar in the summer.This vintage featured higher-than-average acidity for riesling and pinot gris, but gewürztraminer acids were lower than those of '97.The '98 rieslings remind export director Jean Trimbach of '95, but winemaker Pierre Trimbach points out that pinot gris was difficult in '98 as crop levels were high and grey rot spread quickly after the October 1 rainstorm.Still, notes Jean, "everyone wants pinot gris today; riesling is too intellectual for most of the market."Incidentally, Jean and Pierre consider '97 a five-star vintage for both riesling and gewürztraminer, better than '98, '96 or '95.I have included notes on a few important current releases from vintages prior to '97.Trimbach remains one of Alsace few reliable sources of excellent dry wines.