2019 Trimbach Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile, Alsace

The 2019 Riesling Frédéric Emile is precise and savory on the nose, blending the ripe and intense fruit of the Geisberg with a rather coolish and purely mineral or rocky tone of the Osterberg (?) that is reminiscent of melting salts. Tight and with lots of tannins on the palate, this is a full-bodied, highly energetic and vivacious Riesling with a long and tensioned as well as complex finish that pairs the ripe and dense fruit with structural elements to create something new and impressive. It's very long and saline yet still too tight to be opened today. 14.1% stated alcohol. Tasted at Trimbach in November 2024.

96 points robertparker.com

This great dry Alsace riesling has hugely generous, irresistible aromas of fresh and candied citrus fruit, together with white and yellow peaches. Very chalky and concentrated on the medium- to full-bodied palate. The very long, deeply structured finish makes it plain that this masterpiece is just beginning to give its best! From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

97 points jamessuckling.com

Few names in Alsace carry the same gravitas as Trimbach, a family estate founded in 1626 that has become synonymous with precision, longevity and aristocratic Riesling. Now led by the thirteenth generation, the house style remains resolutely dry and structured, shaped by meticulous vineyard work and restrained cellar practices. Cuvée Frédéric Emile is sourced from the great Grand Cru vineyards of Geisberg and Osterberg near Ribeauvillé, where limestone rich soils and sheltered exposures produce Rieslings of remarkable intensity, mineral depth and ageing potential.

A pale lemon gold gleams in the glass with quiet authority. Aromas unfold with lemon zest, green apple and white peach layered with chamomile, crushed stone and a subtle smoky flint character. There is an immediate sense of composure and tension, a bouquet that hints at power held in reserve.

On the palate the wine is dry, focused and beautifully sculpted, delivering citrus and orchard fruit flavours wrapped around firm acidity and a pronounced mineral spine. Notes of grapefruit pith, wet limestone and gentle spice build through the mid palate before a long, mouthwatering finish that feels both precise and persistent. Built for the cellar, this Riesling will evolve magnificently over fifteen to twenty five years, gaining layers of honey, toast and petrol complexity while retaining its structural backbone.

A superb companion for refined, flavour driven dishes, it shines with roast pork and crackling, smoked trout, choucroute garnie or creamy mushroom tart. Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Emile Riesling captures the noble spirit of Alsace in its most classic form, perfect for serious tables, long conversations and those moments when only a truly iconic white will do.