# Trimbach Riesling Grand Cru Geisberg (2020)

- **Producer:** Maison Trimbach
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Riesling
- **Region:** Alsace, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €85
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 8–10 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** peach, pear, lemon, grapefruit, blossom, petrol, honey, mushroom

## About this wine

Maison Trimbach, established in 1626, is one of Alsace's most historic and respected wine estates. For generations, the fruit from their holdings in the Geisberg Grand Cru was blended with Osterberg grapes to produce the iconic Cuvée Frédéric Emile. However, in 2008, the Sisters of the Convent of Ribeauvillé leased their steep Geisberg parcels to Trimbach under the condition that the resulting wine be bottled as a single-vineyard Grand Cru. This led to the creation of Trimbach's first terroir-named Grand Cru bottling. Geisberg is one of the smallest Grand Crus in Alsace, characterized by steep, south-facing terraced slopes with complex marly-limestone-sandstone soils. The 2020 vintage experienced a warm, dry summer, but cool nights preserved the essential structure of the grapes.

## Interesting facts

- Geisberg is one of the smallest Grand Crus in Alsace, measuring only 8.53 hectares in total.
- The fruit was historically blended into Cuvée Frédéric Emile before its first single-vineyard release in 2009.
- The vineyard is leased from the Sisters of the Convent of Ribeauvillé, who insisted on the Grand Cru labeling.

## Food pairing

This dry, high-acid, and structurally powerful Riesling acts as a perfect palate cleanser for rich, oily seafood and complex poultry dishes. Its razor-sharp acidity cuts through the richness of cream, butter, or coconut milk in spicy curries, while its intense minerality and concentration stand up to robust proteins like veal and wild mushrooms.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for this Grand Cru Riesling focuses on preserving purity and terroir expression. Grapes are hand-harvested from old vines averaging over 50 years of age. After gentle pneumatic pressing, the juice undergoes a slow, temperature-controlled fermentation in a combination of stainless steel and concrete vats. Malolactic fermentation is strictly blocked to maintain the natural acidity of the Riesling grape. The wine is kept unoaked and is bottled early in the spring following the harvest. It then undergoes extensive bottle aging in Trimbach's historic cellars for several years before commercial release.