Cidrerie René-Sens - Léo Deyber and David Spenlihauer

The rebirth of Alsace’s forgotten fruit heritage.

Located in Biederthal, in the heart of the "Sundgau" region of the Alsatian Jura, Cidrerie René-Sens was founded in 2020 by friends Léo Deyber and David Spenlihauer. Both coming from a sommelier background with a deep-rooted passion for the natural wine movement, they set out to apply those same exacting standards to the neglected apple and pear trees of their home region. The name is a dual tribute: a nod to David’s grandfather, René, and a declaration of their mission—a "Renaissance" (rebirth) of sense and local tradition.

Their approach is fundamentally ecological. They focus on the rehabilitation of abandoned, high-stem orchards—some over a century old—that characterize the hilly landscape of Southern Alsace. These trees are untreated and organic by nature, preserving ancient varieties that offer a complexity rarely found in modern agriculture.

In the cellar, Léo and David follow a strict "zero-input" philosophy. Fermentations are carried out exclusively with wild yeasts (levures indigènes), with no chaptalization, no filtration, and zero added sulfites. Their signature cuvées, such as Lucidre, are crafted using the ancestral method, often finished with manual disgorgement to ensure precision and clarity. The result is a revelation for the palate: bone-dry, vibrant, and incredibly vinous ciders that have quickly earned their place on the wine lists of Michelin-starred restaurants.