Technical presentation
| Bottling : | February 2004 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 14.8 ° |
| Residual sugar : | 25 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 4.2 g/l H2SO4 (6.4 g/l Acide Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.5 |
| Yield : | 14.5 hl/ha |
| Average age of vines : | 40 years |
| Terroir : | Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain |
| Sweetness index : | 3 |
| Soil : | Sedimentary volcanic rocks, South facing, Very steep slope |
Description of the wine Riesling Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos St Urbain 2002
The Rangen Grand Cru is located at the south end of the wine road in Alsace, enjoying a slightly cooler climate despite its steep south facing topography (altitude is higher at 400m) but also a very unique volcanic soil. In 2002, the yields were exceptionally low (similar to 1993). This is something that we see often in the pinot-gris grape, but not on the riesling. At the opposite of the Brand, there was very little botrytis, but the high ripeness made us also think that this wine will become a VT. The fermentation was constant and basically didn’t stop until the wine reached a very high alcohol level for riesling. (the only similar in style we made in the past is the Brand 1998).
Tasting notes
01/2004 : The Rangen 2002 has a intense smoky-earthy nose, very typical of Rangen, but also shows lots of very ripe fruits. The palate is unctuous, rich, and powerful. The aromas are dominated with earthy, dry herbs character. The powerful mouth hides the residual sweetness very well. It clearly still shows some roundness, but in great harmony.
The Clos Saint Urbain, Grand Cru Rangen from Thann
The Rangen de Thann is the most southerly of the Alsace vineyards. In his book « Where Alsace wines ripen », Henry Riegert writes: « from the Middle Ages those wines which ripen on the Rangen hillside figure amongst the most famous growths of the whole vineyard region ». The Grand Cru Rangen de Thann, is situated at the exit of the valley, overlooking the village of Thann with the river Thur passing at the foot of the slope.