Technical presentation
| Bottling : | February 2017 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 13.0 ° |
| Residual sugar : | 32.7 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 2.8 g/l H2SO4 / (4.3g/l Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.40 |
| Yield : | 23 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2018-2040+ |
| Average age of vines : | 52 years |
| Terroir : | Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain |
| Sweetness index : | 3 |
| Available for sale : | Yes |
| Soil : | Sedimentary volcanic rocks, South facing, Very steep slope |
Description of the wine Pinot Gris Grand Cru Rangen from Thann Clos Saint Urbain 2015
The Clos-Saint-Urbain covers 5.5ha on the western part of the Grand Cru Rangen, close to the old town of Thann and right above the river Thur. The volcanic rocky soil and incredible steep slope bring an unmistakable personality and character to the wines from Rangen. The poor soil and high vine densities explain the richness and concentration of the wines, enhanced by the effect of the river that allows the development of some botrytis on a grape like Pinot Gris. 2015 saw less noble rot than usual, but its small presence explains the richness of this wine and the presence of some residual sweetness. It is very interesting to realize that both grapes, Riesling and Pinot-Gris, were harvested the same day with a big difference in ripeness. The fermentation wasn’t too long (6 months) but we felt that this wine would benefit from extra ageing on the lees and was only bottled in February 2017.
Tasting notes
08/2017 : Intense yellow/gold colour. The nose combines intense ripe fruit and classic flinty/smoky aromatics. Despite being very expressive on the nose, the palate shows more earthy aromatics and will only reveal the honey/bee wax (signature of ripe grapes) after a long exposure to air. The wine coats the palate with a velvety sweetness, never overpowering, just strong enough to remind the taster that this wine isn’t dry. Pinot Gris is a difficult grape, and it takes a great vineyard to push it to the highest level possible.
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.