Maison Trimbach

Maison Trimbach's viticultural origins date to 1626, when Jean Trimbach arrived from Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines and was granted citizenship in Riquewihr, where he established the winery. In the 1840s the estate relocated to Hunawihr, and after World War I Frédéric Théodore Trimbach moved it permanently to Ribeauvillé, where it remains today. International recognition came in 1898, when Frédéric Emile Trimbach received the highest distinction at the Brussels International Wine Fair, an award still displayed in the estate's tasting room. The house operates as both an estate producer from its own 58 hectares and a négociant purchasing grapes from selected partner growers.

• Founded 1626 in Riquewihr by Jean Trimbach; relocated to Ribeauvillé around 1920 by Frédéric Théodore Trimbach after World War I
• International reputation established in 1898 when Frédéric Emile Trimbach won the highest distinction at the Brussels International Wine Fair
• Now in its 13th generation; winemaking is led by Julien Trimbach following the passing of 12th-generation Pierre Trimbach in January 2026
• Estate model combines 58 hectares of owned vineyards with grapes purchased from partner growers; wines span five tiers from Classic to Grands Crus Collection

Trimbach represents a global reference point for fine dry Alsace wine. The house has held the distinction of being the United States' number one still wine Alsace producer since 1978, and in 2025 was elected Brand of the Year by La Revue du Vin de France. As the third largest owner of Grand Cru vineyards in Alsace, with Grand Crus accounting for roughly 30% of total production versus the regional average of 4%, Trimbach's commitment to dry styles has fundamentally shaped the modern perception of quality Alsatian white wine.

• US number one still wine Alsace producer since 1978; elected Brand of the Year by La Revue du Vin de France in 2025
• Clos Sainte-Hune 2019 received a 100-point score and is the most searched Alsace wine on Wine-Searcher; the 1919 inaugural vintage marks over a century of this iconic cuvée
• Third largest owner of Grand Cru vineyards in Alsace; Grand Crus represent ~30% of Trimbach production versus only 4% regionally
• Cuvée Frédéric Emile, created in the 1960s from Geisberg and Osterberg Grand Crus, is a benchmark for great-value Grand Cru Riesling and is listed on tables of top Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide

Trimbach wines are immediately recognizable by their hallmark dry, linear, mineral character. The house philosophy, summarized in three words, balance, balance, balance, produces Rieslings with restrained stone fruit, citrus, white flowers, and slate minerality rather than tropical or floral excess. All dry whites carry fewer than 5g/l residual sugar, distinguishing them from many competitors' rounder, off-dry interpretations. Notably, Trimbach labels neither Clos Sainte-Hune nor Cuvée Frédéric Emile with their Grand Cru appellations, instead marketing them under proprietary names that have become more famous than any Grand Cru designation.

• Labels read F.E. Trimbach, Ribeauvillé; dry Rieslings carry fewer than 5g/l residual sugar; no malolactic fermentation across the entire range
• Trimbach intentionally does not place the Grand Cru appellation on Clos Sainte-Hune or Cuvée Frédéric Emile, a decision that has elevated rather than diminished their reputations
• Fermentation in stainless steel or neutral old casks at controlled temperatures; wines bottled in spring and aged in cellar before release; Clos Sainte-Hune typically held five or more years before sale
• Riesling forms 55% of production; portfolio also includes Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Sylvaner, and Pinot Noir

Trimbach's range divides into five tiers: Classics (Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer), Réserve, Réserve Personnelle, Grands Crus Collection, and Vendanges Tardives and Sélections de Grains Nobles. Clos Sainte-Hune Riesling is the undisputed flagship, producing around 8,000 bottles annually from the 1.67-hectare monopole. Cuvée Frédéric Emile, created in the 1960s, blends fruit from the Grand Cru Geisberg and Osterberg sites straddling the hill above Ribeauvillé, and is capable of aging 20 years or more. The Grands Crus Collection, launched from 2009 onward, now includes named bottlings from Geisberg, Osterberg, Mandelberg, and Schlossberg.

• Clos Sainte-Hune: 1.67-hectare monopole in Grand Cru Rosacker, Hunawihr; first label 1919; approximately 8,000 bottles annually; best vintages include 1971, 1976, 1990, 2015, and 2019
• Riesling Frédéric Emile: blend of Geisberg and Osterberg Grand Crus above Ribeauvillé; created in the 1960s; vines average 55+ years; 20+ year aging potential
• Gewurztraminer Cuvée des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre: produced only in outstanding vintages from old Osterberg and Hunawihr vines; a rare and age-worthy Gewurztraminer in the Trimbach dry style
• Grands Crus Collection: Trimbach began releasing named Grand Cru bottlings (Geisberg, Mandelberg, Schlossberg) from the 2009 vintage onward, a departure from their traditional practice of not labeling Grand Cru origins

Trimbach's 58 hectares lie along the Ribeauvillé faultline, which fractured the Vosges Mountains from the Black Forest around 50 million years ago, creating a mosaic of ancient soils. Muschelkalk, a shell-fossil limestone, dominates the best Riesling parcels, complemented by marls, Vosges sandstone, and migmatite granite in other sites. The Vosges Mountains shelter vineyards from Atlantic rainfall, making Alsace the second-driest region in France, with hot and dry summers and beautifully dry autumns ideal for healthy, late harvests. Average vine age across the estate is 45 years, with Clos Sainte-Hune's oldest vines planted over 80 years ago.

• Clos Sainte-Hune: 1.67ha, south-southeast exposure at 260-330m elevation, on pure Muschelkalk limestone in Grand Cru Rosacker (Hunawihr); vines average 60+ years, oldest over 80 years
• Cuvée Frédéric Emile vineyard straddles Grand Cru Geisberg and Osterberg above Ribeauvillé on marl-limestone-sandstone soils with south-southeast exposure; vines average 55+ years
• Alsace is the second-driest region in France due to the rain-shadow effect of the Vosges Mountains; semi-continental climate with cold winters, hot dry summers, and long, dry autumns
• Estate spans vineyards across Ribeauvillé, Hunawihr, Bergheim, and Mittelwihr, with Grand Cru holdings in Rosacker, Geisberg, Osterberg, Mandelberg, and Schlossberg

Trimbach's winemaking philosophy centers on minimal intervention to express terroir with maximum precision. All grapes are hand-harvested as late as possible for optimal ripeness, then gently pressed in pneumatic presses. Fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats or old neutral casks. No malolactic fermentation is performed across the range, preserving the natural malic acidity that gives Trimbach wines their characteristic tension and food compatibility. The estate eliminated all chemical use from vineyards in 1972, began certified organic viticulture in 2008, and received full Agriculture Biologique and HVE-3 Organic certification in 2023.

• No malolactic fermentation across the entire range; lactic acid preserved intact to maintain linear, food-friendly acidity and long aging structure
• Fermentation in stainless steel or old neutral casks; Clos Sainte-Hune vinified depending on vintage volume; fermentation at 18-20 degrees Celsius over several weeks
• Wines bottled in spring following harvest and aged in cellar before release; Clos Sainte-Hune held approximately five years before sale; lovers advised to wait at least 10 years after purchase
• Organic viticulture since 2008 (beginning with Clos Sainte-Hune); first in Alsace to introduce sexual confusion capsules as a pest management tool in 1996; full HVE-3 Organic certification achieved in 2023