A near-V.T. in character, the 2004 Riesling Kessler Cuvee Cecile smells of cherry preserves and licorice, comes to the palate with almost doughy richness, wearing its nearly thirty grams of residual sugar more obviously than is typical chez Dirler, and delivers a beautiful melange of honey, licorice, malt, peach, marzipan, and peach kernel in a long, bittersweet finish. This should become significantly more impressive as its sweetness backs off, and is capable of at least fifteen years of interesting evolution. Tasted side by side, the inaugural 2002 vintage (Cecile’s birth year) of this cuvee was hauntingly lovely.So enormous is the range of wines nowadays grown at the combined Dirler and Cade domaine that I did not have the time to taste them all. (All of those I did taste are at least mentioned in the text.) Along with the involvement of the new generation – Jean Dirler and his wife Ludivine (nee Cade) – the entire domaine has been farmed biodynamically since 1998 (and parts of the Kessler and Kitterle with horse), a factor the family thinks especially beneficial given the climatic extremes that have prevailed in recent years. Riesling and Pinot Gris are generally fermented in foudre here, and other whites usually in tank. Very few families of Alsace wine have exhibited long-term the consistent quality and age-ability one can expect of those bottled under the Dirler name.Importer: Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 757-8185