Representing the first time that a rose sparkler has been essayed chez Dirler, their 2,000 bottles of 2008 Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rose – from onion skin-shaded, non-malo Pinot Noir – is close to zero dosage, which considering the cherry and red raspberry fruit character it vividly and juicily displays is perfectly appropriate. Bitter hints of cherry pit and a saline suffusion lend invigoration to this exuberant exercise that should remain lovely for at least 18-24 months. As usual chez Dirler, I was forced during my most recent visit to take a slightly abbreviated tour of the two most recent collections on account of this family’s sheer multitude of bottlings, but it is clear from their 2008s that this remains one of the most frequently exciting – and generally consistent – sources of wine in Alsace, making it unfortunate that one doesn’t see Dirler-Cade wines more often in the U.S. Moreover, this is an estate that’s rendering highly distinctive; often deliciously unorthodox; but never fashion-pandering innovations while retaining a clear and constant vision of how the classic cepages of Alsace should perform in sites that can boast some of the longest – not to mention most-deserved – reputations of any in their region. All this having been noted, 2009 was a challenge even here: sometimes well-met, but seldom entirely surmounted. Rieslings were being harvested as early as mid-September, and Jean Dirler observes that had he cut back the crop on his Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer rather than allowing bunches to remain abundant, he would really have had a problem with sky-high potential alcohol. (For more on the Dirlers’ sites and methods, consult my reports on earlier vintages.)Importer: Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 757-8185
粵公網(wǎng)安備 44030502006249號(hào)