Technical presentation
| Bottling : | February 2017 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 13.5° |
| Residual sugar : | 2.0 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 3.5 g/l H2SO4 / (5.4g/l Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.21 |
| Yield : | 29 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2019/2033 |
| Average age of vines : | 32 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 Riesling Roche Volcanique 2015
This wine is made from the younger vines of Riesling planted in the Grand Cru Rangen in Thann. When my father purchased the Clos Saint Urbain in 1977, only 3.5ha were planted. Some of the Riesling grapes were then planted gradually between 1978 and 1986. These aren’t ‘young’ vines, but in some vintages, especially in hot and dry years, they have a different behavior than the older vines planted in the early 60s. The volcanic influence is still clearly present, but it takes many years for the vines to fully penetrate the rock and reach the maximum potential. The fermentation was fast and the wine finished dry.
Tasting notes
08/2017 : Clear bright yellow colour. Almost luminous! The nose is beautiful and shows strong stony/flinty aromatics, showing clear evidence of the volcanic mother rock. Strong sense of energy on the palate as well with tight tannins and salt on the finish. Despite a good ripeness for this grape, the mid palate is delicate and the acidity is refreshing. This is a wine with a strong personality and a good introduction to a relatively rare soil type. Very good ageing potential.
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.