Berry Bros. & Rudd – New Releases from Maison Trimbach
Few releases will excite lovers of fine, age-worthy, excellent value white wines quite as much as the annual suite from Maison Trimbach of Ribeauvillé.
“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.” so writes Ian D’Agata for Vinous. I concur, so alongside the magnificent Cuvée Frédéric Emile, I am pleased to offer two other dry Rieslings and three styles of Gewurztraminer.
Covering 40ha over some 50 parcels and 6 villages in the most charming corner of eastern France, the Trimbach estate benefits from the advantageous combination of shelter by the Vosges mountains, a geological faultline offering an array of terroirs and a commitment to sustainable grapegrowing practices ensuring healthy vineyards and fine fruit. The Trimbach family’s near four centuries of success lies in their staunch commitment to a house style which nurtures the aromatic grape varieties of Alsace into a pure, lean, predominantly dry styles of wine, ideally suited to further aging in bottle, and a vast array of food styles.
As ever, there are quite a few wines to present here, but if I could highlight just one it would have to be the sublime Cuvée Frédéric Emile. A combination of Geisberg and Osterberg Grand Crus with an average vine age of 45 years, this Cuvée represents the very quintessence of Alsace Grand Cru Riesling – powerful, with a fine tension between chalky mineralty and ripe fruit with a notable streak of drying acidity. As Ian D’Agata so eloquently observes, the 2012 “will undoubtedly be another great star in this wine’s constellation history”.
2018 Riesling Reserve, Trimbach
£90 GBP / €102 Euro per six bottle case in bond
£108 GBP / €121.50 Euro per three magnums in bond
“On the refined nose of this fantastic dry Riesling you get lovely subtle hints of petrol which is a notable characteristic of Riesling. As the wine warms slightly you get more tropical notes which follows onto the palate. You are greeted with a lovely fruity richness followed by a fresh racy acidity. This wine pairs wonderfully with Asian food and will not disappoint, well worth a try. Drinks well now but could go up to 4 years.”
Edward Howell, Fine Wine Team
2017 Riesling Vieilles Vignes, Trimbach
£108 GBP / €121.50 Euro per six bottle case in bond
“The moment you swirl your glass you’re hit by an exquisite concentration, the wine opens up with generous ripe fruits, grapefruit, lemon freshness and spice. It’s bone dry with a mouth-watering zingy fresh acidity, in the background there are slight smoky notes. This is an aromatic and expressive wine, with a great minerality. Drink 2022-2030.”
Joshua Friend, Private Account Manager
“Vivid straw-yellow. Showy, expressive aromas and flavors of wild fennel, caramelized rhubarb and nectarine. Finishes long and ripe, showing a strong saline quality and notes of savory herbs. First made in 2009; the Trimbachs only make this wine in years when they think there are enough quality grapes (otherwise it risks lowering the quality of their Réserve Personnelle). More herbal and saline than brightly fruity, this is always an impressive wine, but rarely one of my favorites from Trimbach.”
89+/100. Ian D’Agata, Vinous
“Solid white with density and searing dryness and minerality that is very impressive with sliced apples, lemons and white peaches. Super energy. Drink now or hold.”
95/100. James Suckling
2012 Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile, Trimbach
£198 GBP / €222 Euro per six bottle case in bond
£222 GBP / €249 Euro per three magnums in bond
“My favourite Trimbach Riesling sings in this 2012 vintage with an inviting bouquet of lemon blossom and acacia, with hints of baked limes underneath. A touch sweetness greets the front of tongue, met with a highly toned acidity which brings perfect balance amidst the gentle mid-palate texture. Bouncing favours of fresh gooseberries and red apple skin combine with soft gingerbread, such lovely intensity and length through to a fresh and satisfying finish. Delicious now but easily capable of 5-10 years in the cellar for more savoury development, enjoy from 2021 – 2032.”
Chris Lamb, Private Account Manager
“Bright pale straw-green. Fresh nose of green apple, quince lime and herbs. Then minty, almost peppery flavors of green fig, apple and gooseberry. Finishes long and suave with zippy acidity and a hint of minerality at the back. This is still very young but magically combines precision, concentration and refinement as only this cuvée manages. Strikes me as an earlier maturing version of Fréderic Emile, but will undoubtedly be another great star in this wine’s constellation history.”
92/100. Ian D’Agata, Vinous
“The 2012 Riesling Frédéric Emile starts clear, subtle and very elegant on the floral nose. Elegant, piquantly mineral and finesse-full on the palate, with a lot of Spiel and restrained power but also some petrol hints (?) this bottling shows a nice purity and a long and tension-filled finish. A real Trimbach classic to be enjoyed over the next 20+ years.”
93+/100. Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate
“A wine with ripe fruit but pretty tension and brightness. Dried pear, apple and mineral character, plus freshness. This will be out in 2019.”
94/100. James Suckling
2013 Gewurztraminer Cuvée des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre, Trimbach
£162 GBP / €183 Euro per six bottle case in bond
“More pedestrian bottles of this most enigmatic of grape varieties often show themselves to be clumsy, brash wines with little of the elegance and finesse of this compelling wine from the wonderful old firm of Trimbach. Perhaps assisted by tasting outside on a splendid Spring day in virtual lockdown, the floral characteristics (indeed, daffodils!) blossomed forth before leading on to that lychee-spiced flavour lovers of fine ‘Gewurz’ find so very appealing not to say reassuring. Gentle hints of ripe pear and quince carried forward by a confident underlying acidity; fully ready to go yet a few years more promises to yield more intriguing development. Now-2025.”
Tom Cave, Customers’ Private Reserves Manager
“The 2013 Gewurztraminer Cuvée des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre comes from predominately Keuper marl-limestone soils in Hunawihr (Muhlforst area) and Ribeauvillé (Trottacker) which give this age worthy wine a full and powerful style. Nobly clear and elegant on the deep and concentrated but super subtle nose where ripe bright fruit aromas with a dash of lemon juice are displayed. Round, piquant and very elegant on the palate, this is an intense, complex, lovely mineral and extremely well defined wine with a stimulating vibrancy and a nice tannin grip which, in combination with the minerality, gives not just tension and power but also a very long and salty Gewurztraminer with mandarin flavors and flowers in the very persistent aftertaste. This Cuvée is even more elegant than the Reserve and will go into the market most likely by end of 2019 since 2008 is on the shelves right now and will be followed by 2011 and 2012 first.”
94/100. Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate
“Fabulous aromas of honeysuckle, lavender, stone and menthol. Full-bodied, lightly off dry, spicy and powerful. Very long and rich. What potential. Fabulous gewurz. It should be available in the market in 2020.”
95/100. James Suckling
2017 Gewurztraminer Séléction de Grains Nobles, Trimbach
£414 GBP / €465 Euro per six bottle case in bond
“The “Sélection de Grains Nobles” is only made under exceptional conditions and picking each single grape individually from the vine, once it has shrivelled due to noble rot. The result is an exceptionally luscious wine of unique aromatic complexity and concentration with great ageing potential.
Bright gold and deep, the nose boasts aromas of tropical fruits, ripe pear and quince with touches of honey, mint candy and green tea. The palate is balanced by a bright acidity but richly textured, powerful and with extraordinary length on the finish. It displays notes of grapefruit, pineapple, candied fruits, spicy complexity and a floral lift reminding you that spring 2020 has just arrived!
A very food friendly wine for richly textured dishes or deserts. Drink 2023-2035”
Javier Perurena, Private Account Manager
“Luminous yellow-gold. Saffron, honey, mirabelle, peach, and dried apricot on the captivating nose. Enters rich, dense and concentrated, but lively acidity provides an amazing light-on-its-feet quality while extending the ripe, spicy tropical fruit flavors on the long, silky mouthfeel. Multilayered and deep, this outstanding SGN showcases delightful acid-fruit balance that makes it seem less sweet than it is.”
95/100. Ian D’Agata, Vinous
“A dense and layered SGN gewurz with dried-pineapple, honey, spice and smoke aromas and flavors. Full-bodied and medium sweet. Fruity, tight and very focused. Wonderful finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
94/100. James Suckling
2015 Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives, Trimbach
£186 GBP / €210 Euro per six bottle case in bond
“Bang! An explosive, glittering array of a nose brimming with unmistakeable dried pineapple, guava, sticky mango and mandarine orange. The eponymous ‘würzt’ then takes over with set honey, ginger snap biscuits and a twist of white pepper. Strictly medium bodied, with orange blossom honey, succulent stone fruits and a joyous juicy tutti-frutti quality. Sweet but not luscious with plenty of moderating concentration. Really nicely constructed and dangerously drinkable. 2020-2025”
Jared Ehret, Private Account Manager
“Bright golden-tinged yellow. Pure lemon, minerals and honeyed mango on the knockout nose. Very pure and elegant, offering flavors of grapefruit, menthol and candied violet. Finishes long and clean, displaying a delicate flintiness and a ripe honeyed note. Luscious and precise, but doesn’t seem especially sweet (though at 65 g/L residual sugar, this is no slouch in the “sugar load” department). Lovely balance from start to finish and will likely prove very ageworthy. Made with practically only passerillé (air-dried) grapes, with little or no noble rot to speak of (and personally I miss the added dimension that Botrytis cinerea adds to the overall equation). From essentially the same parcels that are used to make the Gewürztraminer Cuvée des Seigneiurs de Ribeaupierre, plus the parcels of vines owned by a local farmer with whom the Trimbachs have a long association.”
93+/100. Ian D’Agata, Vinous
“The 2015 Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives opens with a very clear, fresh, precise and delicate bouquet of perfectly ripe berries. On the palate, this is a highly elegant, finessed and piquant Gewurz with good phenolic grip and gastronomic freshness. It is not super complex, but it is full of finesse and provided with great gastronomic talents. Bottled with 13.3% alcohol plus 57 grams of residual sugar that taste rather medium-sweet than really sweet.”
91/100 Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate
A gewurztraminer masterpiece! Smells like walking through a tropical garden at dawn. On the palate, it is creamy and elegant at the same time. With just enough sweetness to fit into this category and just enough acidity to make the finish very long. Pure and precise. Delicious now, but the track record of this wine suggests that it has at least 10 years of aging potential.”
96/100. James Suckling
Due to land with us in October.
Do let me know if you’d like a case of any of these wonderful wines.
