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Wine Description
The Story
The Trimbach family is one of France’s greatest winemaking dynasties, having made wine in Alsace for over three centuries. The family produces outstanding wines from all the classic Alsace varieties, but their two greatest wines are made from just one variety, Riesling. In fact, Trimbach’s Clos Ste. Hune and Cuvée Frédéric Emile are not only Alsace’s two greatest dry Rieslings, they may well be the two finest examples made anywhere. If there is one Riesling in the world which every wine lover dreams of tasting and savoring, it is "Clos Sainte-Hune"
In 1919, after centuries of making Rieslings, the Trimbach family created one of the world’s greatest dry white wines: Clos Ste. Hune.
Trimbach produces this holy-grail wine from the tiny 3-acre Clos Ste. Hune. The Clos lies within the Rosacker grand cru. Yet, the Trimbachs label their treasure simply as Clos Ste. Hune, just as they have since 1919. They refer to neither Rosacker nor grand cru; Clos Ste. Hune transcends both. It is hors classe in the same way that Ch. d’Yquem is in Sauternes.
Clos Ste. Hune balances its enveloping richness with an intense minerality, remarkable finesse and great structure. This is thanks to Clos Ste. Hune’s 40-year-old vines, planted in cool, calcareous-clay soil with a gentle incline and a high percentage of limestone. Thus, like a Raveneau grand cru Chablis, the more it ages, the more profound Clos Ste. Hune becomes.
The Trimbachs continue to make Clos Ste. Hune as they did in the past: a cool, slow fermentation; a quick racking to remove the wine from the lees; no malolactic fermentation; and a short period of aging in neutral wood foudre before bottling early to retain the fruit. The wine is then aged for an incredible five years in bottle before being released.
In great years, tiny amounts of Vendange Tardive are made, but they are different from other VT’s. They result not from botrytis but passerillage—dehydration caused by the sap returning to the vines root system. They boast immense concentration and complexity, but only off-dry levels of residual sugar, as Trimbach vinifies them to be as dry as possible. Like other Clos Ste. Hunes, the VT’s are capable of immortality.
Wine Information
Riesling« Clos Sainte Hune »
This exceptional wine is a product of the terroir in the “Rosacker” vineyard, located in the village of Hunawihr. This parcel of land, which stretches over 1.67 hectares, has been in the Trimbach family for more than 200 years.
The south, south-east facing vines are on average 50 years old and lie on a predominantly limestone subsoil. These factors give this Riesling a unique flavor of remarkable fruit concentration, enhanced by a refined hint of minerality on the finish.
After a few years of ageing, the typical characteristics of the “Clos Sainte Hune” terroir vibrantly shine through the glass.
The small annual production of 8,000 bottles on average, makes this wine an extremely rare treasure, much sought after by Riesling lovers and collectors across the globe.
Trimbach’s “Clos Sainte Hune” wine has an exceptional ageing potential as it can age 7 to 10 years after bottling without even reaching its peak.
The Trimbach Family keeps the bottles 5 years in the cellar for ageing before release.
Wine ageing
15-20 years +
Wine ageing Minerality is the Dominating Sensation
Serge Dubs, World’s Best Sommelier 1989
“If there is one Riesling in the world which every wine lover dreams of tasting and savoring, it is “Clos Sainte-Hune".
A high-quality dry wine, distinguished, refined, elegant, with beautifully ripe fruit and a pronounced minerality which lend it its unique temperament.
It has its own signature and is sublime in great vintages. It is a wine which inspires dreams thanks to its harmony and its exceptional capacity to age.”
