Dirler-Cadé : Riesling Grand cru "Spiegel" Élément Air 2021

Characteristics and tasting tips for the Riesling Grand Cru Spiegel "Élément Air" 2021 from Domaine Dirler-Cadé

Tasting

Appearance

With a pale yellow hue and greenish tints, the appearance testifies to the wine's youth and vitality.

Nose

The nose unveils delicate aromas of aromatic herbal infusions, characteristic of the Spiegel terroir's mineral expression. This olfactory palette develops progressively upon aeration.

Palate

On the palate, the wine reveals lively citrus notes, notably lemon, quince, and kumquat. The structure is distinguished by a marked saline minerality and a dry, precise finish, enhanced by a fine noble bitterness that brings length and definition. The supple attack quickly gives way to a fresh and mineral mid-palate, reflecting the airy elegance specific to this terroir.

Food and wine pairings

This Riesling is an ideal accompaniment to oysters and grilled shellfish, where its natural salinity harmonizes with iodized flavors. It also pairs perfectly with river fish in butter and citrus sauce, a seafood sauerkraut or a salmon carpaccio. Vegetarian preparations such as a quinoa salad with citrus fruit or roasted poultry with herbs also constitute excellent pairings.

Service and storage

The Riesling Grand Cru Spiegel "Élément Air" 2021 is ideally served between 10 and 12°C. It can be enjoyed now and until approximately 2036, with a peak expected around 2030. The estate advises against decanting in order to preserve the wine's aromatic delicacy.

An airy and mineral Riesling from the Spiegel Grand Cru in Alsace

The estate

Founded in 1871 by Jean Dirler, a teacher turned winemaker, Domaine Dirler-Cadé is today managed by Jean Dirler and his wife Ludivine Hell-Cadé, representing the fifth generation. Their marriage in 1998 allowed for the expansion of the estate to eighteen hectares, 42% of which are classified as Grand Cru. Converted to biodynamics since 1998 and certified by Biodyvin and Ecocert, the estate recently obtained three stars in the Revue du Vin de France's 2025 guide, consecrating its excellence among the greatest French estates. Located in Bergholtz, the domain cultivates four Grands Crus: Saering, Spiegel, Kessler, and Kitterlé.

The vineyard

The Grand Cru Spiegel, whose name means "mirror" in German, stretches across east-facing slopes between 260 and 315 meters in altitude. The terroir is divided into two distinct sectors: the southern "Stein" slope with stony and less clayey soils producing wines of great mineral finesse, and the south-eastern slope with more clayey soils generating richer wines. The soils composed of Buntsandstein sandstone, a Triassic geological formation rich in eroded quartz and iron oxides, confer upon this Alsace wine its distinctive minerality. The abundant quartz pebbles reflect the light, creating a luminous landscape evoking the Air element. The semi-continental climate benefits from the protection of the Vosges mountains, limiting rainfall while allowing for prolonged maturation.

The vintage

The 2021 vintage began with a winter marked by a frost episode of rare intensity affecting the entire French vineyard. A milder spring favored flowering at the end of May, followed by particularly rainy months of June and July. Meteorological instability was observed between mid-July and mid-August. Despite these difficult conditions, the harvest allowed for the acquisition of grapes of remarkable quality, giving birth to vibrant and intense wines.

Winemaking and aging

The Riesling Grand Cru Spiegel "Élément Air" 2021 is crafted according to a philosophy of minimal intervention. The manually harvested grapes undergo a slow pneumatic pressing of eight to ten hours. Fermentation takes place spontaneously thanks to indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks between fifteen and twenty-two degrees Celsius. The wine then benefits from ten months of aging on fine lees in stainless steel tanks, developing aromatic complexity and texture, before clarification and bottling at the estate.

Grape variety

100% Riesling