Maison Trimbach
Since 1626, the Trimbach family has been promoting the history, exceptional terroirs and fine wines of Alsace. Trimbach’s vineyards are all situated around Ribeauvillé, where the soils are dominant in limestone (Ribeauvillé, Hunawihr, Bergheim, Rorschwihr, Riquewihr and Mittelwihr). They benefit from the unique Alsace microclimate, thanks to the Vosges Mountains protection, which preserves the plain from the rain.
HISTORY
The Trimbach’s have a purist vision. Across 13 generations, the Family has produced wines that are structured, long-lived, fruity, elegant and balanced: the celebrated Trimbach style. Bottles are cellared, sometimes for several years, before reaching the marketplace, ensuring the wines are both ready to drink upon release but also hold great ageing potential. The viticultural origin of the Trimbach Family dates back to 1626, when Jean Trimbach, was recognized as a citizen of Riquewihr. From then on, the Trimbach’s were renowned for their grape-growing and winemaking. Indeed the Trimbachs were already tending the precious Riesling vines which would become the Geisberg and Osterberg Grands Crus well before the region’s Grand Cru system was officially approved in 1975. A special, single plot that straddles both these Grands Cru is directly behind the Trimbach winery in Ribeauvillé and produces the estate’s flagship wine –Riesling Frédéric Emile. Named for the Trimbach ancestor who helped establish the winegrowers and merchants’ collective in Alsace in the 19th century, the wine has become a highly sought-after emblem of Alsace terroir.
TERROIR
Maison Trimbach’s vineyards are all situated around Ribeauville (Ribeauville, Hunawihr, Bergheim, Rorschwihr, Riquewihr and Mittlewihr). They benefit from the unique Alsatian microclimate, thanks to the Vosges Mountains protection, which preserves the plain from the rain. The vineyards were planted on the Ribeauville’s fault line that fractured 50 million years ago between the Vosges Mountain range and the Black Forest offering a mosaic of terroirs including the complex calcareous limestone and bio-degraded seashell fossils called “Muschelkalk.”
PEOPLE
Day-to-day operations are handled personally by brothers Pierre and Jean Trimbach, representing the 12th generation. Thirteenth-generation Anne and her sister Frederique (Pierre’s daughters) are on the commercial side and Julien (Jean’s son) is winemaker working day to day with Pierre, while Pauline (Jean’s daughter) manages sales in the French market. The family personally looks after each operation, from planting to harvests and from vinification to bottling.
