2019 Brut Nature Crémant

Ludivine Cadé and Jean Dirler met in 1994 and married in 1998, fusing their two parental estates. With nine hectares/22.2 acres each, the creation of Domaine Dirler-Cadé in Bergholtz occurred in 2000, but labeling only changed with the 2010 vintage. Of their 18 total hectares (44.5 acres), seven hectares (17.3 acres) are in the four local Guebwiller grand crus: Saering, Kessler, Kitterlé and Spiegel. The vineyards have been farmed biodynamically since 1997 and became certified in 2001. Dirler-Cadé is known for bone-dry wines, while highly gastronomic Crémant has been made since 2005. However, it dates back to a much older tradition from their ancestor Jean Dirler who founded his domaine in 1871 and was one of the first to excel in making traditional method Mousseux d’Alsace – long before Julian Dopff discovered Champenois winemaking in 1900. Dirler-Cadé’s Crémants are made without adding sugar: grapes are harvested at a potential alcohol level of 13% abv. The first fermentation is stopped by chilling and filtering the wines at 11.5%. The second bottle fermentation is prompted by adding yeast, which converts the remaining residual sugar to alcohol and creates bubbles. The finished Crémant is then disgorged without dosage, resulting in exceptionally pure wines. Purity is also a watchword for the rest of their portfolio. Even in the hot 2020 vintage, they packed ample freshness into their wines. Muscat, Riesling and Crémant are the specialties here.