Technical presentation
| Bottling : | Septembre 2004 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 13.5° |
| Residual sugar : | 3.0 g/l |
| Yield : | 25 hl/ha |
| Average age of vines : | 41 years |
| Terroir : | Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain |
| Sweetness index : | 1 |
| Soil : | Sedimentary volcanic rocks, South facing, Very steep slope |
Description of the wine Riesling Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos St Urbain 2003
Only the oldest vines were selected to produce this wine. Yields were very small but the grapes stayed very healthy to the end. Unlike most vintages, we didn’t need to wait too late for the harvest. The result is a wine that fermented very quickly, which is a good thing in such a vintage, and transformed all the sugars to finish very dry.
Tasting notes
06/2004 : The volcanic soil left his classic print in this wine: lots of smoke and gunflint in a very tight, dry structure, mostly based on the high tannins. I do not remember any vintage in the Rangen where the riesling had this style. This is not a wine for fruit bomb lovers, but a demonstration of how the soil can replace missing varietal characteristics.
10/2004 : This wine gained significant volume and richness, also becoming more aromatic. The palate remains strict, dry with this 2003 roundness. Very flinty on the finish.
10/2013 : Pale colour, still shows reductive flinty character and still feels very young on the nose. Develops floral aromas after some time. Elegant palate, long, typical Rangen structure, with still very young features and tastes really dry now. Excellent ageing.
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.