iDealwine update: a Riesling to be cheerful

In our latest market analysis, we focused our attention on classic regions and bluechip wines, mostly from Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône.

But browsing iDealwine auction reports, there is one French region that, though often mentioned, does not get the attention it deserves – Alsace.

Most sommeliers and wine connoisseurs agree that Alsace produces some of the world’s finest white wines. Though the region represented less than 1% of the total iDealwine hammer price last year, special cuvées from a handful of standout names – Weinbach, Deiss, Hugel, Josmeyer, Zind-Humbrecht and Trimbach – are regularly spotted for their performance at auction.

Boasting a solid track record and often surpassing price estimates is the acclaimed Clos Sainte Hune from Domaine Trimbach. A descendant of a long line of winemakers, Hubert Trimbach manages the property with his nephews Jean and Pierre, and his daughter Anne.

Firmly rooted in Alsace since 1626, the Trimbach name rapidly gained an international reputation at the end of the 19th century, thanks largely to Hubert and Bernard’s grandfather, Frédéric Emile.

The property’s vineyards are located on fine terroirs, some benefitting from grand cru status, even though this has never really interested the Trimbach family, who prefer to produce distinguished blends that they market under their own brand names.

Their vinification methods have resisted the siren call of modern technology and trend for high residual sugar; the owners monitor every stage, with a strict respect for tradition in order to ensure that the famous Trimbach style of dryness, balance and elegance – which serves as an international benchmark for Alsace wines – is preserved.

Trimbach’s flagship

Since 1919 Clos Sainte Hune has taken pride of place as the property’s flagship wine. It is a varietal Riesling from vines planted in the heart of the Rosacker Grand Cru.

The parcel is only 1.67 hectare at an altitude of around 300m. It is planted with 50-year-old vines on a limestone subsoil with a strong presence of magnesium.

In keeping with the Trimbachs’ ethos, the wine’s label does not display its grand cru status. Despite this intentional omission, its quality ensures that it enjoys an excellent reputation.

Clos Saint Hune Riesling is usually very reserved in its youth, and is kept in the property’s cellars for several years before being released onto the market. Over time, its fruitiness becomes richer and more rounded while the length on the palate increases tenfold, preceding an elegant mineral finish.

The production is limited to about 700 to 900 cases a year and no vintages were made in 1961, 1972, 1980 and 1984. Well distributed among the finest restaurants around the world, Clos Sainte Hune is hard to find in the secondary market. Thus we feel privileged to be able to present this cuvée regularly on iDealwine auctions, enabling our customers to access it.

Prices for this wine have increased significantly over the years: in July, a 1983 – a great vintage in Alsace and a wine awarded 96 points by Robert Parker – sold for €408. This is a considerable jump on its 2015 estimate of €294, and was the result of a fierce battle between a French and an English wine merchant.

In the second auction of May, a lot of two bottles of 2005 sold for €528 (+31%) and a 1989 for €504, after starting at €300. Both were won by a wine collector in Hong Kong – a city from which increasingly more bids are arising for Alsace wines.

It is difficult to predict the future price evolution of Clos Sainte Hune, but the growing global demand for icon wines from outside the most traditional regions combined with the wine’s rarity, quality and long ageing potential should sustain the upward trend in the coming years.

Clos Sainte Hune is becoming an essential item for sommeliers and wine enthusiasts around the world.