Trimbach Riesling Reserve / 2023 / 375mL

Description:

The Trimbach Riesling Réserve 2023 from Alsace is a bone-dry white built on citrus and orchard fruit, with a fine chalky thread running underneath. In a 375mL half bottle, it is a tightly wound, focused Riesling scaled for one or two people rather than a table of six.

Green apple and lemon lead the aromatics, with white peach, elderflower and a hint of raw almond behind them. Air brings out a stony, savoury edge that keeps the fruit from feeling simple.

The palate is taut and drawn out rather than broad, with bright acidity carrying the fruit through a long, dry, faintly saline finish. Made from 40 to 50 year old vines around Ribeauvillé and Bergheim, it has genuine grip and a texture that firms up as it warms in the glass.

Pour it with steamed snapper, prawns with lemon and garlic, a plate of oysters, roast chicken with herbs, or a Vietnamese salad where the acidity can cut through the fish sauce and chilli. It also handles washed-rind cheese better than most dry whites.

Drinking well now and over the next five to six years. Worth remembering that a half bottle ages faster than a 750mL, so this format rewards drinking it earlier — the ideal size for a midweek dinner for two, or a single glass poured properly rather than a full bottle opened on a whim.