Technical presentation
| Bottling : | September 2005 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 15.6 |
| Residual sugar : | 4.3 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 2.4 g/l H2SO4 / (3.6g/l Tartrique) |
| pH : | 4.0 |
| Yield : | 32 hl/ha |
| Average age of vines : | 41 years |
| Grape variety : | Gewurztraminer |
| Terroir : | Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain |
| Sweetness index : | 1 |
| Soil : | South facing, Very steep slope, Volcanique ( tufs & |
Description of the wine Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos St Urbain 2004
There is little gewürztraminer planted in the Rangen, as this is a grape variety that struggles a lot at higher altitudes (350m-450m) during the flowering. I can only thank the Jung family (previous owners who planted this vineyard in the early 1960’s) for choosing a parcel right above the river Thur for the Gewurztraminer. Not only there is no flowering problems (the river helps to temper the climate), but the ripeness can sometimes be spectacular. The 2004 grapes were harvested very ripe, and fermented bone dry, Rangen style !
Tasting notes
01/2006 : Just like the other Rangen made in 2004, this wine is pure volcanic rock infusion. The nose is extremely flinty, earthy, toasty, with hints of caramelized sugars and spices. There is none of the classic varietal characters in this wine! The palate is very dry, powerful, intense, showing great tannins and minerals. Like most Gewurztraminers of this richness that finished dry, there is also lots of roundness from the inner structure of the wine. We rarely make Gewurztraminer Rangen as dry as this, so this is only for the people who can handle so much terroir in a dry style Gewurztraminer !
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.