Technical presentation
| Bottling : | March 2015 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 13.5° |
| Residual sugar : | |
| Total acidity : | 4.9 g/l H2SO4 |
| pH : | 3.4 |
| Yield : | 45 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2016-2025 |
| Average age of vines : | 29 years |
| Terroir : | Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain |
| Sweetness index : | 1 |
| Soil : | Sedimentary volcanic rocks (Tuffs & Grauwake), South facing, Very steep slope |
Description of the wine Pinot Gris Thann 2013
The late ripening character of the 2013 vintage made us choose to separate some parts of the Rangen (planted in the late 70s and 80s and mostly on the top part of the Clos). The strong character of the vineyard is still present in this wine, so we chose to bottle it apart despite the very small volume (14hl). The Rangen is always fighting between its very solar exposition/warm soil and its cool late ripening climate. It is always a wonder to see how well it can ferment, despite the later picking, especially if the wild yeasts are not annoyed by some noble rot presence.
Tasting notes
3/2015: pale straw, yellow colour. Intense aromatics which oscillate between fruit (quince), spices (pepper) and smoke flavours. Very dry yet elegant mid palate. Pinot Gris offers interesting tannin extraction possibilities when the stems and grapes show perfect ripeness. This wine definitely shows how a white wine can be close to a red wine in structure. Quite powerful finish with good acidity that bring freshness. Not at all the classic easy Pinot Gris but a great food friendly wine.
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.