
Even if noble rot is part of the Rangen vineyard most vintages, we do not produce regularly VTs or SGNs here. Very often, the higher vineyards on the steep Rangen hillside, further away from the influence of the river, are harvested healthy and it is very interesting to assemble all parts together in order to obtain more complexity and structure in the final wine. In 2009, however, this vineyard was harvested later, because of the later flowering, and under sunny cool October days, the botrytis developed intensely almost everywhere. Selecting the SGN here also allowed us to control the maturity of the normal Pinot Gris Rangen. The concentration effect of the noble rot is quite amazing. It mostly demonstrated in the fantastic acidity of this wine. Of course, the fermentation stopped early keeping a decent sweetness in this elegant SGN.
2/2011: the colour is pale yellow, very fresh looking for 2009. The nose is delicate, with some honey, candied fruits, raisins, and some light smoky flavours. The Rangen character is there, despite the noble rot influence. The palate is elegant and the yeast did a superb job in choosing this final sweetness balance. This is probably not our most powerful or sweetest SGN, but probably one of our most elegant one, which will also be able to age nicely for a very long time.