Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 8 to 25 years from the vintage release.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
foie gras, strong blue cheeses like Munster or Roquefort, spicy Thai or Sichuan cuisine
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Domaine Dirler-Cadé's Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives represents the pinnacle of Alsatian sweet winemaking, born from a tradition of patience and deep respect for nature's cycles. The term 'Vendanges Tardives' refers to late-harvested grapes left on the vine to concentrate their sugars, often kissed by Botrytis cinerea, or noble rot. Sourced from the estate's meticulously tended biodynamic vineyards—frequently utilizing parcels in prestigious Grand Cru sites like Kessler or Spiegel—the grapes are harvested by hand in successive passes. The soils of Bergholtz, rich in sandstone and clay, impart a structural minerality that beautifully balances the natural opulence of the grape. Historically, late-harvest wines in Alsace were reserved for special family celebrations and visiting dignitaries; Dirler-Cadé honors this heritage by producing a wine of breathtaking aromatic complexity, showing classic notes of lychee, rose petal, ginger, and honeyed apricot, underpinned by a vibrant, life-giving acidity.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Established in 1871 by Jean Dirler in the village of Bergholtz, Domaine Dirler-Cadé is a pioneering force in Alsace's biodynamic wine movement. Now run by the fifth generation, Jean-Christophe Dirler and his wife Ludivine Cadé, the estate expanded in 1998 through the union of their family vineyards. The domaine is deeply committed to ecological balance, achieving full biodynamic certification and utilizing traditional horse-drawn plowing to preserve the soils of their prestigious Grand Cru plots, including Kessler, Spiegel, Saering, and Kitterlé. They are highly acclaimed for their precise, terroir-driven white wines, particularly mineral-rich Rieslings, expressive Pinot Gris, and elegant Gewurztraminers.Lineage and respect for the land define their craft, producing wines of exceptional purity and longevity.Address: 13 Rue d'Orschwihr, 68500 Bergholtz, Alsace, France. Website: https://www.dirler-cade.com