Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2023

A Post Gig Treat

There’s something about getting in after a gig, the house finally quiet, and opening a bottle just for yourself. No rush, no distractions, just seeing what’s in the glass.

Tonight it was the Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2023, taken out of the fridge and left to come up slightly. Straight away it felt like the right call.

On the Nose

First impression is clean and classic. Green apple and pear, nothing overcomplicated but really well defined.

It’s the sort of nose that doesn’t try too hard, just sits there quietly but confidently. You know it’s going to be solid before you’ve even taken a sip.

In the Glass

Completely different story once you taste it.

It opens with fruit as expected, that apple and pear carrying through, but then it shifts. There’s a proper hit of minerality that comes in quite strong, followed by something I didn’t expect at all.

Honey, but not in a sweet way. More like honeycomb. Slightly waxy, a bit textured, almost savoury rather than sugary.

It gives the wine a bit of weight without losing that freshness.

The Finish

This is where it got really interesting.

There’s a bitterness on the finish that caught me off guard. Not unpleasant, but definitely there. It reminded me of Manzanilla sherry, or even an IPA made with Nelson Sauvin hops, a type I tried on a recent visit to Azvex Brewery in Liverpool.

It’s slightly drying, slightly aggressive, but in a way that makes you go back for another sip. Not refreshing in the usual sense, more something you want to understand.

And that’s what kept me drinking it.

An Unlikely Pairing

This ended up going with a McDonald’s chicken sandwich and chips.

Not planned, not refined, but it actually worked.

The salt and fat from the food balanced out the acidity and that drying finish perfectly. Each sip just reset everything, ready for the next bite.

A Quick Reflection

This is exactly the sort of bottle I find myself picking up more now.

I’ve admired Trimbach for a while, I haven’t really explored Pinot Blanc, and I’ve only had one other wine from Alsace before this.

That combination was enough.

A couple of years ago I would have gone straight for something bigger and fruitier. Now I’m more interested in seeing what a wine is trying to show me, even if it’s not immediately obvious.

Final Thoughts

This isn’t a showstopper in the way some wines are, but it doesn’t need to be.

What it does is keep you thinking. The shift from fruit to minerality, the honeycomb texture, that slightly bitter finish. It all adds up to something that feels a bit more considered.

It’s the kind of wine you open after a long day, sit with, and just take your time over.

And tonight, after the gig, that was exactly what I wanted.