Winemaker Notes
Trimbach's "Clos Sainte Hune" wine has an exceptional ageing potential as it can age 7 to 10 years after bottling without even reaching its peak. Vintage 2007 is now available in very limited quantities.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very tight, minerally and reduced on the nose. Shows hints of flint and white pepper. Full-bodied, very dry and layered with some phenolic tension. It's so tight and holding back.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Trimbach’s 2007 Riesling Clos Ste-Hune displays genuine intrigue in its array of floral, mineral and animal shadings focusing on narcissus, musk, shimmering crystalline stoniness, alkalinity, and savory salinity. Grapefruit and orange are tinged with juniper berry, quinine, as well as hints of white truffle that enhance the resemblance to 1996 (although Trimbachs compare this with their 2001). And while less austere than the corresponding Frederic Emile, this is no less penetratingly or exhilaratingly long. An amazingly extract- and energy-rich, kaleidoscopically multi-faceted Ste-Hune, it should be absorbing to follow for a quarter century or more.
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Wine Enthusiast
Clos Ste Hune comes from a small parcel in the Rosacker Grand Cru vineyard. It is a wonderful, ethereal paean to Riesling—crisp while intensely perfumed with aromas of fennel and licorice. It’s dry in style, with elegant citrus flavors and a straight line of steely acidity, but finishes with a hint of honey. While delicious now, it’s not quite mature and could continue to improve until 2025.
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Wine Spectator
Very elegant and refined, with good tension throughout from the racy acidity. Flavors of fresh-cut apple, white peach, lanolin, fleur de sel and blanched almond, with a hint of lemon zest, resonate through this tightly knit white, which should open up beautifully with time. Drink now through 2030.
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.
Pierre Trimbach (winemaker since 1979) was named one of the world’s Top Ten White Winemaker by Decanter Magazine in 2006. He was also named “Wine Personality of 2016” by Betthane & Desseauve Magazine and they score Cuvée Frederic Emile 2008 a rare 20/20.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
Small but mighty, this picturesque region in northeastern France is renowned for its white wines produced by passionate families whose winemaking roots span generations and even centuries. Nestled between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River, Alsace benefits from a sunny, dry climate and a long growing season. It is one of the most geologically diverse regions in the world — one of the many reasons why Alsace rocks!
Alsace wines include dry, mineral-driven Riesling, earthy Pinot Gris, refreshing Pinot Blanc, exuberant Gewurztraminer, elegant Pinot Noir, and more. From traditional-method sparkling wines to easy-drinking AOC Alsace, to complex Grand Cru bottlings from 51 distinct sites, and rich, late harvest wines, Alsace produces a wine for every occasion. Most Alsace wines are single-varietal bottlings and are labeled with the grape name. The region is also one of the greenest wine-producing areas in France, with 36% of its vineyard area certified organic.
Riesling, the region’s calling card, is dry, fresh and floral in its youth, developing complex mineral and flint character with age. Gewurztraminer is known for its signature spice and lychee aromatics. Pinot Gris is prized for its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavors. Pinot Blanc is an affable food partner or porch sipper. Pinot Noir, the only red grape in AOC Alsace, is now authorized in three Grand Cru areas and is also used for Crémant d’Alsace sparkling rosé. Any bottle you choose will offer deliciousness, pleasure and value that is unprecedented in other wine regions.