2011 Dirler-Cade Riesling Kessler Cuvée Mathilde - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (12/2/2015)
First Dirler-Cade Riesling that I have had in a long time. Unfortunately the placement of this wine in the tasting was not optimal, in that it followed a Donnhoff kabinett that was notably sweeter. That being said, it was lovely on the nose - all white flowers and ripe tree fruit. It ended up showing a little bit austere on the palate during the tasting. Thinking back to when I first opened it in prep for the event there was actually very fine balance , and for an Alsace wine that is supposedly sweet it came across as barely off dry and with fine richness. I would love to try another bottle on its own.
2011 Dirler-Cade Riesling Saering Vendange Tardive - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (12/4/2015)
Served in a blind flight with the 2011 Dirler-Cade Riesling Cuvee Mathilde, this was notably sweeter, but still not a "sweet wine." It showed the ripeness of the vintage, with tropical fruit and maybe a bit of botrytis spice on the nose. Again not as sweet as I was expecting on the palate, this carried its richness well, and would be a lovely wine at the dinner table despite the VT designation.
Two very nice wines that remind me why I like Alsatian Riesling.