So far, this is one of the best wines I’ve had this year.

Trimbach, Pinot Noir Réserve 2015, Alsace
As with Bürklin-Wolf in the previous blog post, we’re talking here about an icon of dry Riesling. However, this Pinot Noir is an education in itself.

Vivid ruby/garnet with pinkish edges. Very pure and linear impression on the nose. Less the charmer and more a masculine, minerally character with not an ounce of fat. Maybe a whiff of red or black forest fruit, but nothing too overt. Was this aged solely in inox or in wood? I can’t detect anything pointing to wood.

Unfettered, sinewy and precise on the palate. Medium-bodied and bone dry. The tannins feel slightly crunchy in this mere baby of a wine, but they are well-integrated. Some red fruit emerges, but in a firm, no-nonsense, athletic style. Refreshing acidity washes over the back palate and into a long finish. This is a 180-degree departure from the mushroomy, sous bois smell of the undergrowth or the comforting savouriness of many other Pinots. What we have instead is the intense purity and linearity of a wine that puts its proverbial front foot forward.