Riesling Vendanges Tardives
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 10–25 years from the vintage release, as it requires time to fully integrate its sweetness and develop complex tertiary aromas.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
pan-seared foie gras, blue cheese, spicy Asian cuisine
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Domaine Dirler-Cadé's Riesling Vendanges Tardives represents the pinnacle of Alsace's late-harvest tradition, where patience and nature's whims dictate the harvest. The term 'Vendanges Tardives' refers to grapes left on the vine to overripen, often developing noble rot or undergoing drying on the vine. Sourced from the estate's prestigious Grand Cru plots, such as the sandy clay-limestone soils of Kessler, these vines are farmed strictly under biodynamic principles. The family's commitment to horse-drawn plowing and minimal intervention allows the deep-rooted Riesling vines to channel the intense minerality of the terroir. The resulting wine is a masterclass in tension, balancing luscious natural residual sweetness with the searing, vibrant acidity characteristic of the noble Riesling grape, wrapped in complex aromas of candied citrus, honey, and petrol notes that develop with age.
🍾 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