Must drink more Alsace: Trimbach Riesling
A coincidence. This afternoon, before driving down to Devon to drop older son off at school, I put a bottle of Alsace wine in the fridge. Then, on the way back home, I heard Jancis talking on BBC Radio 4's Last word about the late Jean Hugel. A sign: I must explore Alsace wines further, because they are brilliant, even if I keep forgetting about them. I must also visit Alsace as soon as possible because I have never been there (embarassing admission).Where to start? Trimbach and Hugel are certainly good producers (Trimbach's CFE and Clos Ste Hune are two of Alsace's very best Rieslings, in a dry style). Zind Humbrecht and Marcel Deiss are probably the two top producers, with Kreydenweiss and Albert Mann hot on their tails.
Anyway, this entry level Trimbach Riesling is pretty solid. It's brought into the UK by Enotria.
Trimbach Riesling Reserve 2006 Alsace, France
12.5% alcohol. A really delicious dry Riesling from Alsace, with exuberant lemony fruit, showing a hint of apricot richness, but otherwise it’s really dry and citrussy. Lovely purity and freshness here – it reminds me a bit of a top Australian Riesling in style. 89/100
12.5% alcohol. A really delicious dry Riesling from Alsace, with exuberant lemony fruit, showing a hint of apricot richness, but otherwise it’s really dry and citrussy. Lovely purity and freshness here – it reminds me a bit of a top Australian Riesling in style. 89/100
posted by Jamie @ 9:43 PM
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7 Comments:
Trimbach's a great Riesling for sure. But don't you think, that it's the riesling from Australia that should remind of Alsace, not the opposite?
I had a bottle of 1990 Cuvee Frederic Emile last week - and it was fabulous. Lovely colour, not aged, fresh with very good length and flavour and only a hint of "kerosene" that Australian and older Alsace rieslings have; and I have one bottle left!
I agree with previous poster: Australia should remind one of Alsace!- and I am an Aussie fan, although I prefer the minerality (and less "kerosene") found in Alsace Riesling - try Grosset Polish Hill from Adelaide Hills against Trimbach's CFE - and Geman riesling is different again. Lastly I would rank Trimbach and Hugel above ZH and MD - but that's the good thing about wine : we all have our own favourites!!!
Zind Humbrecht and Marcel Deiss
Baiting me won't work, you know.
There are many great producers in Alsace with great Riesling. Trimbach is one of my favourite (had Clos st. Hune just once and it didn't felt any exceptionall, however their Cuvée Frederic Emile is almost always fabulous), Léon Beyer is making some lovely ones (even the basic wine is very good, Cuvée des Comtes D'Eguisheim one of the best rieslings I've ever tasted), recently I had great biodynamic piece from Josmeyer... yes, definitely must drink more Alsace :o)
I got hold of a bottle of this from The French Wine People (http://www.frenchwinepeople.co.uk/) and have been recommending it to everyone I've bumped into since.
www.wine-gums.blogspot.com
"But don't you think, that it's the riesling from Australia that should remind of Alsace, not the opposite?"
No, actually. Australian dry riesling is a distinct style, different from French, German and Austrian rieslings. As it is its own style, and not imitative of Old World wines, I don't see a problem using it as a yardstick in the way Jamie did.
Drinking more Alsace is wise. I'm a Leon Beyer and Domaine Weinbach guy.
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