Pinot Gris Vendanges Tardives
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 10 to 25 years from the vintage release, though exceptional vintages can cellar beautifully for several decades.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Foie gras, strong blue cheeses, or moderately sweet fruit tarts.
✨ Technical Specifications
Trimbach's Pinot Gris Vendanges Tardives represents the pinnacle of late-harvest winemaking in Alsace, a tradition officially regulated since 1984 but practiced for centuries. Harvested weeks after the main crop, the grapes are allowed to overripen on the vine, often developing noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) which concentrates sugars, acidity, and complex aromatics. Trimbach's signature style shines through even in this late-harvest category; they maintain a remarkable structural backbone and freshness, avoiding cloying sweetness. The grapes are sourced from select old-vine parcels in Ribeauvillé, benefiting from the region's complex limestone and clay soils. Historically, Pinot Gris was known as Tokay d'Alsace, a legendary nod to Hungarian influence before EU regulations mandated the varietal name. This wine undergoes slow fermentation and extended bottle aging in Trimbach's historic cellars before release, resulting in a rich, honeyed, yet wonderfully balanced masterpiece.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1626 in the historic heart of Alsace, Maison Trimbach has been guided by the Trimbach family across more than a dozen generations, earning an international reputation from their cellars in Ribeauvillé. The estate is celebrated for its purist winemaking philosophy, emphasizing pristine structure, mineral tension, and an uncompromising dedication to bone-dry expressions that age with profound grace. Sourcing fruit from exceptional terroirs, including prestigious Grand Cru sites, Trimbach crafts some of the world's most revered white wines alongside refined regional eaux-de-vie. Their crown jewel, the legendary Clos Sainte Hune Riesling, stands as a global benchmark of precision and longevity, complemented by classic expressions of Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Pinot Gris
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13-14