Trimbach Riesling "Cuvée Frédéric Émile" 2016 (Alsace, France) - [VM 97+] [JS 96] [WE 94] [WS 94] [WA 93]

Trimbach Riesling "Cuvée Frédéric Émile" 2016
(Alsace, France) - [VM 97+] [JS 96] [WE 94] [WS 94] [WA 93]


Regular price $115.00 Sale price $95.97 Save $19.03
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VM97+ JS96 WE94 WS94 WA93
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About the Winery:
The Trimbach’s have a purist vision. For three centuries and across 13 generations, the family has produced wines that are structured, long-lived, fruity, elegant and balanced: the celebrated Trimbach style. The family personally looks after each operation, from planting to harvests and from vinification to bottling. The viticultural origin of the Trimbach family dates back to 1626, when Jean Trimbach, was recognized as a citizen of Riquewihr. From then on, the Trimbach’s were renowned for their wine-growing. Maison Trimbach’s vineyards are all situated around Ribeauville (Ribeauville, Hunawihr, Bergheim, Rorschwihr, Riquewihr and Mittlewihr). They benefit from the unique Alsatian microclimate, thanks to the Vosges Mountains protection, which preserves the plain from the rain. The vineyards were planted on the Ribeauville’s fault line that fractured 50 million years ago between the Vosges Mountain range and the Black Forest offering a mosaic of terroirs including the complex calcareous limestone and bio-degraded seashell fossils called “Muschelkalk.” In the 1960’s, the Trimbach family decided that it was time for a second great dry Riesling, thus Cuvée Frédéric Émile, the signature wine of the Trimbach family was created.

About the Wine:

TERROIR & VINTAGE NOTES:
The plot of the Frédéric Émile straddles the Grands Crus Osterberg and Geisberg in Ribeauvillé, overlooking the winery. The plot has marl-calcaro-sandstone soils, south-southeast exposure, steep slope, and old vines 55+ years old.

WINEMAKING & AGEING:
The grapes are crushed and delicately pressed in a pneumatic press, then vinified to dryness in stainless steel vats and old casks. No MLF, or long ageing on lees in order to preserve freshness, liveliness and fruity aromas.
The wine was bottled in spring. After seven years of ageing in the cellar the wine expresses all its potential to develop further, expressing its terroir, with aging potential of 20+ years.

TASTING NOTES:
This wine reveals a great aromatic complexity. Citrus, white flowers, and flinty mineral notes. The mouthfeel is ample and rich, while remaining precise balanced by chiseled acidity. This vintage is characterized by its freshness with tension, finesse and minerality. Perfect with oysters, langoustines, lobster, grilled fish or fish in white butter sauce as well as roasted poultry, sweetbreads, dishes with chanterelle mushrooms, potato gratin and vegetables.

GRAPE VARIETIES: 100% Riesling

WINEMAKER: Pierre Trimbach

TECHNICAL DATA

Acidity: 3.13
Alcohol: 13.2%

Ratings & Reviews:

97+ Points - Vinous Media:
"Luminous straw-yellow. Complex, mint-accented aromas of nectarine, tangerine and powdered stone, plus a hint of licorice. Then bright, juicy and dense, showing outstanding acid-sugar balance and a penetrating juiciness to the stone fruit and herbal flavors. Finishes multilayered and very long, displaying noteworthy clarity and limy cut on the saline finish. Wine lovers everywhere know just how great Frederic Emile Rieslings can be, but this looks to be a real knockout in the making; I absolutely love this wine's mineral drive and precision.  It pulls off the neat trick of being both very ageworthy and also lovely to drink right now." - Ian d'Agata (Apr 2018)

96 Points - James Suckling:
"The lemon-sherbet note here is really beautiful. Then comes a wealth of herbs, ranging from thyme to parsley, with a touch of sea salt, before turning to more floral nuances, such as cherries and almond blossom. The powerful acidity seems to surround the whole mouth and makes this almost like licking a lemon; the unmistakable dryness is all the more enjoyable because of it. Long and very elegant on the finish." (Jul 2019)

94 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"This shows signs of development, with very subtle notes of beeswax and white truffle, but its core is packed with juicy Korean pear, lemon verbena and orange zest. Crackling acidity holds the firm structure, while sea-salt notes add to the intrigue. It ends with a lip-smacking finish." - AZ (Nov 2023)

94 Points - Wine Spectator:
"For a wine with ample bottle age, this shows impressive freshness. Still tightly wound, with razor-edged acidity cutting through crisp apple, melon and peach flavors. Briny, pure and crackling through a vibrant, lengthy finish marked by saline and petrol. Drink now through 2032. 2,250 cases made, 1,250 cases imported." - KB (Nov 2023)

93 Points - Wine Advocate:
"The 2016 Riesling Frédéric Emile reveals a clear, bright and slightly flinty bouquet with citrus aromas and delicate intensity. Round and elegant on the palate, this is a powerful, intense and complex cuvée with persistent salinity and remarkable phenolic structure. Although this is a rather crystalline and filigreed Frédéric Emile, it still needs some time to show its best talents. This has 13.2% stated alcohol plus almost two grams per liter of residual sugar. Tasted at the domaine in May 2022." - Stephan Reinhardt (Mar 2023)