WTN: 1998 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile

WTN: 1998 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile: Power Riesling! Golden Colour, nose has ripe pineapple and a rocky edge to it. The taste is very powerful, so much that it is to much for me. I have the feeling this wine with all the pineapples and acidity are trying to make a hole in my skull. I don’t enjoy this wine. It has loads of acidity but no freshness, it lacks taste and something I don’t have to often with a Riesling, I’m not looking forward to my next sip.

It is hot in the Netherlands and I have a long day behind me so maybe this was the wrong bottle to open (I wanted something fresh and tasty).
I have not been a fan of this wine before but I’m still disappointed this brings me almost no enjoyment. A serious power Riesling and no hurry to drink this wine, it’s not my cup of tea though.

[David M. Bueker]

I'm sorry you did not care for it Felix. While the Trimbach CFE is very popular it does have a signature style that is not for everyone. Of course that said, Mosel Kabinett is not for everyone either.

Felix, how did it go with the Emrich-Schonlebers?

Oswaldo, At the Schonlebers I had one of the best tastings I had of all my visits in Germany of this year. At Donnhoff was also brilliant, only at Schafer-Frohlich they had forgotten I would come and visit. THey were filling the Magnums and GG so they had no time. I bought a boatload of there wine anyway so I hope they are as good as I hope they are (Mr Wilhelm Haag spoke very highly of the Scahfer-Frohlich wines so I guess I dont have to worry much).
Tomorrow I will post some notes from what I can remember. When I was at Emirch Schonleber and when the wonderfull lady who had let me taste everything to tba and eiswein left to make the bill and get the wines I poured myself a bit of a wine that was among the opened bottles. It was an auslese trocken R of Koehler-Ruprecht 1998, I cant remember the Lage but I have it written somewhere.
When I had a tasting in Germany there was one guy who had brought a wine of Koehler Ruprecht but it was corked, Mr Schildknecht who also was at that tasting spoke so highly of these wines it was like destiny so I had to try this. For me this bottle was one of the most magical wines I have ever tasted, the evidence that from Germany the most profound dry rieslings can come. I'm having now my last glass of the CFE of Trimbach and I wish I could change it for another glass of the Koehler Ruprecht (although the CFE is a wine of very high quality and the fact I dont understand it does not change that).

[David M. Bueker]

The Koehler-Ruprecht was likely Kallstadter Saumagen.

Personal taste notwithstanding, 1998 CFE is most likely in a deep slumber and shouldn't be bothered for quite some time. For some stupid reason, I opened a 1996 well before its time (about 2 years ago) and it was pretty unpleasant to drink. However, I have no doubt either the 1996 or the 1998 will be wonderful in another 10 years.

The Koehler-Ruprecht was likely Kallstadter Saumagen.

Yeah I guess it was, it was one of the most brilliant wines I have had in my life.

Personal taste notwithstanding, 1998 CFE is most likely in a deep slumber and shouldn't be bothered for quite some time. For some stupid reason, I opened a 1996 well before its time (about 2 years ago) and it was pretty unpleasant to drink. However, I have no doubt either the 1996 or the 1998 will be wonderful in another 10 years.

You are probably right. Although I normally have the rule for myself, if I dont like it young I probably wont like it at any stage. I will let my other bottles rest and we will see what they will turn in to.

Although I normally have the rule for myself, if I dont like it young I probably wont like it at any stage..

There is a difference between young and shutdown or in an awkward phase.

And you certainly wouldn't want to apply this rule to red Burgundy, would you!

Although I normally have the rule for myself, if I dont like it young I probably wont like it at any stage..

There is a difference between young and shutdown or in an awkward phase.

And you certainly wouldn't want to apply this rule to red Burgundy, would you!

tbh I can't say I tasted many red burgundies that I liked. Because of this I have no red burgundies in my cellar and because of this I dont taste much red burgundies. All the burgundies I had under 50Euro's where extremely dissapointing and I wont start exploring if I like the Burgundies above 100Euro's. But the rule I have is that if a wine is young unbalanced it will never be balanced and maybe I miss out on some wines that would have proven me incorrect at least the wines that I have bought have brought me a lot of pleasure.
I hope I will ever find a pinot noir that will give me a mindblowing experience but until then I will stick with hedonistic Bordeaux's for the few times I open a red wine.

But the rule I have is that if a wine is young unbalanced it will never be balanced and maybe I miss out on some wines that would have proven me incorrect at least the wines that I have bought have brought me a lot of pleasure..

Oh, I agree with you in theory, but I'm not sure I would call this Trimbach a 'young' wine. It is in the inbetween stage when the fruit has receded and the structure is showing awkwardly.

Some wines drink well in the 'inbetween' stage but red Burgundy is notoriously difficult once it starts to shut down.

But the rule I have is that if a wine is young unbalanced it will never be balanced and maybe I miss out on some wines that would have proven me incorrect at least the wines that I have bought have brought me a lot of pleasure..

Oh, I agree with you in theory, but I'm not sure I would call this Trimbach a 'young' wine. It is in the inbetween stage when the fruit has receded and the structure is showing awkwardly.

Some wines drink well in the 'inbetween' stage but red Burgundy is notoriously difficult once it starts to shut down.

Oké, we are on the same line. It is all about knowing a producer and to know his trackrecord. CFE has a very good name and because of this I wont be surprised I will like this wine more in 5 or 10 years. That being said, when I drink a wine I dont rate it on his trackrecord or on the producer, I just write down how the wine makes me feel at that moment and this wine (although it is somehow impressive) didnt give me the pleasure I was hoping for.
I also drink quite a lot of chenin blanc and just like riesling this grape gets into an weird fase when it loses his baby fat and fruit but nothing else has come yet to replace this.
I'm looking forward to the day I drink an old red Burgundy that will fill me with joy and that I can understand the passion that burgheads feel for Burgundy.