Sylvaner Vieilles Vignes
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2027
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Alsatian onion tart, grilled freshwater fish, choucroute garnie
✨ Technical Specifications
Domaine Dirler-Cad 's Sylvaner Vieilles Vignes is a masterclass in elevating a historically underestimated grape. While Sylvaner was once widely planted across Alsace and often relegated to simple, everyday blends, this cuv e honors the variety's true potential through the lens of ancient vines and biodynamic viticulture. Sourced from old parcels in the clay-limestone soils of Bergholtz, the deep-rooted vines yield concentrated, low-yielding fruit that captures a profound sense of place. Fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged on its fine lees, this wine defies the stereotype of Sylvaner as merely light and simple. Instead, it offers a beautifully textured, mineral-driven profile, marked by vibrant orchard fruits, delicate white floral notes, and a distinct, stony salinity that reflects the estate's meticulous, horse-plowed soils.
🍾 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
Sylvaner