Gewurztraminer Selection de Grains Nobles
⏳ Drinking Window
2026 - 2045
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Blue cheese, foie gras, apricot tart
✨ Technical Specifications
Domaine Dirler-Cad 's Gewurztraminer S lection de Grains Nobles is a monument to patience, precision, and the transformative power of nature. Produced only in exceptional vintages when weather conditions allow for the development of Botrytis cinerea (noble rot), this rare sweet wine is harvested through painstaking successive passes ('tries successives') through the estate's prestigious plots. The biodynamic farming practices of the Dirler and Cad families ensure that the vines, rooted deeply in the complex sandstone and volcanic soils of their Grand Cru terroirs, yield fruit of remarkable purity. The noble rot shrivels the Gewurztraminer grapes, concentrating their natural sugars, vibrant acidity, and exotic aromatic compounds. Historically, the 'S lection de Grains Nobles' designation was officially codified in Alsace in 1984, cementing a centuries-old tradition of crafting these nectar-like elixirs. The resulting wine is a breathtaking tapestry of honeyed apricot, candied ginger, lychee, and exotic spices, all held aloft by a mineral tension unique to the estate's pristine terroirs.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1871 by Jean Dirler in the southern Alsatian village of Bergholtz, Domaine Dirler-Cadé took its modern form in 2000 following the marriage of fifth-generation vigneron Jean Dirler to Ludivine Cadé. Pioneers of ecological viticulture in the region, the family began converting to biodynamics in 1998 under the guidance of François Bouchet, attaining full Biodyvin and Demeter certification across their 18 hectares of vines. The estate's holdings are distinguished by prime parcels in four Grand Crus—Kessler, Kitterlé, Saering, and Spiegel—alongside celebrated lieux-dits such as Belzbrunnen, Bux, and Bollenberg. Here, steep slopes composed of Buntsandstein pink sandstone, volcanic conglomerates, and marl-limestone are worked by hand and horse-plowed. In the cellar, low-intervention vinification emphasizes gentle pressing, native yeast fermentations, and unhurried aging on fine lees in traditional neutral foudres and stainless steel. The resulting dry Rieslings, aromatic Pinot Gris, structured Gewurztraminers, and precision Crémants deliver intense mineral clarity, textural poise, and profound ageability.
🍇 Grapes
Gewurztraminer