All about Clos Sainte Hune
First, a small and quick « lesson » about CSH:
Appellation: AOC
Vineyard source: in the heart of Grand Cru Rosacker, in Hunawihr
Exposure to the sun: south-south-east
Soil: stony argilo-calcaire – limestone
Average production: 700 to 900 cases
Pruning: double Guyot
Yield: 50 hl/ha
Density of planting: 5500 vines per hectare
Age of the wines: 60 years old
Fermentation vats: temperature controlled stainless steel, no oak ageing
Fermentation temperature: 20 degrees Celcius
Malolactic: no malolactic fermentation
Winemaker: Pierre Trimbach since 1979, 12th generation
Bottling: following spring, exclusively Domaine bottled
Clos Sainte Hune is a 1,67 hectares exceptional stony argilo-calcaire, or Muschelkalk, limestone terroir, exclusively planted in Riesling, located in the heart of Grand Cru Rosacker, in Hunawihr.
The calcary soil allows this Riesling to develop a specific aroma and a wonderful concentration of fruits. Dry yet succulent, of phenomenal complexity, this wine develops an extraordinary aftertaste of minerals after a few years in bottle.
The plot, which is approximately 50 to 70 years old, is south south east exposed and the yields are low.
Annual production reaches about 9000 bottles, depending on the vintage. That makes the wine so unique that Clos Sainte Hune is looked for by many collectors all over the world.
We pick the grapes as late as possible in order to achieve maximum ripeness which, in turn, gives optimum depth of flavour and complexity. The grapes are picked by hand and pressed gently in a pneumatic press. The juice runs into the cellar by gravity and clarifies naturally prior fermentation. The juice ferment in stainless steel at controlled temperature for 3 or 4 weeks. The wine is vinified to complete dryness.
No oak ageing, because we believe it does not bring anything to our wines, except hiding the fruits, the flowers and moreover the salient characteristics of which are extreme purity and concentrated fruits. Bottling is early to preserve freshness. Wines are bottle-aged for several years before leaving the winery, especially CSH, for minimum 6 years.
Of great longevity and very rare, Clos Sainte Hune takes at least seven or eight years to reach its peak. Wine ageing: 10-20 years +
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Well, let’s begin with Pierre’s first vintage, when his father Bernard entrusted him and decided to give him the cellar keys in 1979 ! He was 23 years old.
CSH 1979
Very good crop.
Cold spring and then warm at flowering.
First days of July were nice, August was hot and stormy.
Harvests: on the 30th of October and the 27th of November.
Alcohol: 12,60%
Residual Sugar: 2,7 g/l
Total Acidity: 4,0 g/l (H2SO4)
CSH 1980
Not produced because of not good enough weather conditions
CSH 1981
Very good crop, quite important yield.
May was humid, flowering was great.
Humid weather for the harvests from 2nd to 22nd of October.
CSH 1982
A lot of flowers on the nose and palet, honey,etc.
Good crop, important yield.
January was misty and cold.
After January, it was a great weather, and a quite warm September month.
Harvests from the 7th of October to the 4th of November.
CSH in 1983:
—> CSH 1983
The crop was exceptional. Normal size yield.
Winter was not so cold and rainy !
May was rainy, then flowering was hot and dry, and they from July to end of August, it was dry.
Harvests from 6 to 27th of October (and then from 21st to 24th of November).
—> CSH 1983 – Vendange Tardive (Late Harvest)
This vintage has exceptionnally produced a VT. Harvested end of November (from 21 to 24).
The grapes we harvested were botrytised for some of them, and the others came from passerillage.
Power, floral aromas, ripe fruits notes.
Alcohol: 13,3%
Residual Sugar: 10 g/l
Total Acidity (H2SO4) : 4,1 g/l
CSH 1984
Not produced because of not good enough weather conditions.
CSH 1985
Excellent crop, despite frost.
At the end of April, coldness and rain !
Beautiful flowering and then dry weather until the harvests (from the 7th to the 24th of October and on the 28th of November and from the 2nd to the 5th of December).
Franker than 1983.
CSH 1986
Alcohol: 12,4%
Residual Sugar: 2 g/l
1986 was a good vintage for Alsace, especially for Riesling.
Very ripe with great depth and a beautiful elegant mineral nuance.
CSH 1987
Difficult vintage.
Alcohol: 13°
Residual Sugar: 2,3 g/l
CSH 1988
Very good vintage despite a week of rain during harvest.
Alcohol: 12,6%
Residual Sugar: 4,0 g/l
Acidity: 4,0 g/l
CSH 1989
The whole crop is a Late Harvest.
Precise nose on very ripe fruits, some candied fruits,citrus aromas and beautiful acidity.
At the harvest, the alcohol potential was 15,1 degrees. It fermented until 14 degrees and kept 18 g/l of residual sugar.
The sugar is well harmonised with the acidity and alcohol.
=NOW= sugar has like disappeared in the wine.
CSH 1990
1990 was a GREAT harvest and a wonderful vintage for Riesling. All the growing season was perfect during this vintage, the grapes were fully ripe and also very healthy.
Clean, healthy, ripe grapes with absolutely no touch of rot at all, it has a very clean and precise flavour.
Full bodied with great richness and layers of fruits.
Alcohol: 14,5%
Residual Sugar: 4 g/l
Total Acidity : 7 g/l (tartaric acidity)
CSH 1991
Difficult vintage due to frost in April. Small crop. Good quality anyway.
Alcohol: 12,4%
Residual Sugar: 2 g/l
CSH 1992
Good vintage. Big crop!
Alcohol: 12,6%
Residual Sugar: 3,5 g/l
Good vintage for Riesling.
CSH 1993
Good vintage. Early crop. Some rain during harvest.
Alcohol: 12,6%
Res. Sugar: 7 g/l
CSH 1994
Difficult vintage due to rain in September. Exceptionnal October month.
Alcohol: 12,8%
Res. Sugar: 4 g/l
CSH 1995
Very good vintage. Especially good for Riesling.
Alcohol: 12,8%
Residual Sugar: 4,2 g/l
Total Acidity: 5,5 g/l
CSH 1996
Very dry but cold summer, high acidity.
Alcohol: 12,9%
Residual Sugar: 5 g/l
Total Acidity: 5,9 g/l
CSH 1997
Good vintage, a lot of VT and SGN wines. High sugar levels.
Alcohol: 13,0%
Residual Sugar: 2 g/l
Total Acidity: 4,6 g/l
CSH 1998
Very good vintage.
Alcohol: 13,4%
Residual Sugar: 3,7 g/l
Total Acidity: 4,9 g/l
CSH 1999
Good vintage. Hail storm on the 5th of August.
Alcohol: 13,2%
Residual Sugar: 2,3 g/l
Total Acidity: 5 g/l
CSH 2000
Outstanding vintage !
Alcohol: 13,4%
Residual Sugar: 2,3g/l
Total Acidity: 4,4g/l
CSH 2001
Outstanding vintage !
Alcohol: 13,0%
Residual Sugar: 3,1 g/l
Total Acidity: 5,1 g/l
CSH 2002
Current release. Outstanding vintage, especially for Riesling !
Alcohol: 13,0%
Residual Sugar: 4,2g/l
Total Acidity: 9,0g/l
CSH 2003
Already sold out, released before 02′ because of the hot summer. Good quality despite the heat !
Alcohol: 13,2%
Residual Sugar: 5 g/l
Total Acidity: 6,5 g/l
Quite flattering.
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