Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling 2005
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Deep golden, vibrant and reflective. Lush ripe white peaches with a hint of beeswax honey. Dense and intense flavors of burnt orange peel, lemon zest, and stone fruits with subtle elements of minerality and honeycomb.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2005 Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile follows the lead of the "reserve" bottling in offering palpable extract yet elegance and refinement. Peach, apricot, apricot kernel, lime, and pungent floral notes in the nose lead to a juicy mouthful of citrus and pit fruit with further invigoration added by accents of salt, huckleberry and toasted pumpkin seeds. Blazingly bright in its citricity and palate-staining in its fruit, nut, and mineral intensity, this displays an amazing tiny-berry concentration and utmost clarity when one considers its having been rained on early in October – tribute to an impeccable viticultural regime as well as the breezy location (on the Osterberg) of these vines. It won’t be released until 2010, by which time it can be expected to have "shut down" and re-opened, as well as – I hasten to add – to promise further richness and complexity over the following 12-15 years. Chalk dust, sea breeze and lime in the nose of their 2004 Riesling Reserve set the rather austere tone for this densely-concentrated wine. A hint of muskiness signals an exotic aspect that runs right though a minerally-intense finish that really shows the wines ripe but ultra-bright acidity. This (like some of the other 2004s) appears to already be in the process of shutting down a bit, leading me to wonder whether it might hit the market while in a vinous trough.
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Wine Spectator
Hints of petrol and smoke on the nose mix with subtle flavors of Gala apple and white peach on the palate. A dry, tangy white, with fine length and a briny finish. Drink now through 2015. 4,000 cases made.
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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.
With its fairytale aesthetic, Germanic influence and strong emphasis on white wines, Alsace is one of France’s most unique viticultural regions. This hotly contested stretch of land running north to south on France’s northeastern border has spent much of its existence as German territory. Nestled in the rain shadow of the Vosges mountains, it is one of the driest regions of France but enjoys a long and cool growing season. Autumn humidity facilitates the development of “noble rot” for the production of late-picked sweet wines, Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles.
The best wines of Alsace can be described as aromatic and honeyed, even when completely dry. The region’s “noble” varieties, the only ones permitted within Alsace’s 51 Grands Crus vineyards, are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Pinot Gris.
Riesling is Alsace’s main specialty. In its youth, Alsace Riesling is dry, fresh and floral, but develops complex mineral and flint character with age. Gewurztraminer is known for its signature spice and lychee aromatics, and is often utilized for late harvest wines. Pinot Gris is prized for its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavors. Muscat, vinified dry, tastes of ripe green grapes and fresh rose petal.
Other varieties grown here include Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Chasselas, Sylvaner and Pinot Noir—the only red grape permitted in Alsace and mainly used for sparkling rosé known as Crémant d’Alsace. Most Alsace wines are single-varietal bottlings and unlike other French regions, are also labeled with the variety name.