"Freddie" absolutely shines in 2018—a hot, dry vintage that pushed this legendary Riesling to new levels of power and poise. From organically grown grapes on the famed Geisberg and Osterberg slopes, it’s bursting with aromas of kaffir lime, mirabelle plum, dried mint, and salty minerality. The texture is full and layered, but the finish? Chalky, precise, and seemingly endless. Whether you're drinking or cellaring, this is a benchmark vintage for one of Alsace’s most iconic dry Rieslings.

Jamessuckling.com | JS 98
Published: Dec 30, 2024

A super-elegant dry riesling for the hot and dry 2018 vintage! Brimming with kafir-lime, mirabelle-plum and dried-mint aromas. Great underplayed power on the medium- to full-bodied palate. The concentration seems to build with the chalky minerality at the overwhelming finish! From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

The Wine Advocate | RP 97
Published: Feb 6, 2025
Drink: 2029-2068

From the Osterberg (60%) and a particular Geisberg plot (40%), the 2018 Riesling Frédéric Emile offers a very concentrated, intense and saline nose due to deeper, more clayish soils. Full-bodied, rich and intense yet elegant and refined on the palate, this is a concentrated, persistently saline and powerful Riesling with a long, impressive and powerful finish. The FE has more salt and tension than the 2018 Geisberg and is definitely the more complex wine. Tasted at the domaine in April 2024 and again on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Clos Ste Hune at the beginning of November when the wine was beautifully fragrant, refined and elegant, even pure and precise on the remarkably coolish nose, given that dry and very warm vintage. This is an enormously complex Riesling with a dense and fleshy texture of fully ripe fruits and a firm tannin structure. Promising! 14.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork.

We published reviews of 18 vintages of the iconic Riesling Clos Sainte Hune in one of the last issues, including the latest from 2019, which has been cultivated in the grand cru Rosacker for 100 years. Beyond that, and as always, I tasted a pretty wide range from vintages here in spring and in late autumn last year. All the crus, whether grand cru or not, are of superb quality. The 2020 Gewürztraminer Muehlforst is a Best Buy; the 2020 Pinot Gris Grand Cru Osterberg is one of the finest Pinot Gris I tasted in Alsace last year; and the Riesling cuvée Frédéric Emile, no matter if the 2018 or 2019, should be seriously considered as a wine to purchase.

Trimbach.fr

Exposed south and south-east, the Grands Crus Geisberg and Osterberg terroirs of Ribeauvillé which overlook the estate have given birth to this wine for several generations.

The average age of the vines, around 45 years, offers limited yields.

The marl-limestone-sandstone and shell limestone composition of the terroir (Muschelkalk), as well as the well-ripened grapes strictly selected by hand, give this wine a remarkable personality: a dry and powerful Riesling, underlined by a mineral note and with finely chopped acidity.

Prestigious signature of the house, the Frédéric Emile, often nicknamed FE or Freddie, is sought after by connoisseurs and collectors.

Pairings : great gastronomy, noble fish, caviar, fine white meats.

Aging potential : the great vintages of Frédéric Emile mature for twenty years or more.