Trimbach Frederic Emile Riesling 2016 750 ML

Wine Enthusiast - #55 on the Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2023! By the 1960s, the Trimbach family decided that it was time for a second great dry Riesling, and so they created the Cuvee Frederic Emile. Unlike the mono-cru Clos Ste. Hune, the new cuvee was a blend of two grand cru sites: Geisberg and Osterberg. The soils in both crus are clay and limestone over sandstone; the soils are not only stony, they are strongly alkaline, producing a wine of intense minerality and powerful acidity. The site also benefits from the strong winds that blow across it, keeping the grapes dry and lessening the incidence of botrytis. This is essential for the purity, precision and restraint that define Cuvee Frederic Emile. The cooling wind also allows extended hang time, yielding fruit of stunning complexity. Like Clos Ste. Hune, Cuvee Frederic Emile has astonishing aging capacity—with time developing remarkable expressiveness, including a nuance that the Trimbachs describe as “toasted bread and white truffle.” As with Clos Ste. Hune, when the conditions are right, the Trimbach’s don’t hesitate to make stunning Vendange Tardive and SGN bottlings of Freddie Emile. Despite their richness and concentration, they maintain the gyroscopic balance and sense of grace that are Frederic Emile’s hallmarks.