Technical presentation
| Bottling : | August 2018 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 14° |
| Residual sugar : | 41.0 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 3.1 g/l H2SO4 / (4.7g/l Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.65 |
| Yield : | 19 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2022-2047+ |
| Average age of vines : | 38 years |
| Terroir : | Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain |
| Sweetness index : | 3 |
| Soil : | Sedimentary volcanic rocks (Tuffs & Grauwake), South facing, Very steep slope |
Description of the wine Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Rangen from Thann Clos Saint Urbain 2017
Gewurztraminer holds a special place in the Rangen. This volcanic steep hillside has the capacity to transform this grape into a unique style with a unusual aromatic profile. The Grauwackes from the Rangen originate from the volcanic dust and ashes produced by the nearby Molkenrain volcano. They accumulated under the sea and were transformed into hard metamorphic rocks as the Vosges mountains were formed in the first era. The soil is rich in oligo-elements and minerals. This can be found into the wines of the Rangen that have a much higher ash content (minerals left after burning the wine to ashes). The effect of salivation, often described as a marker of strong vineyard influence, comes from there. Rangen wines show an incredible capacity to express this salivation effect. The two little Gewurztraminer vineyards are planted just above the river Thur, where the soil is the deepest (richest in clay) and the vines are more protected from the cold valley winds in spring.
Tasting notes
03/2019 : Gold yellow colour. The nose reveals strong spicy, flinty and smoky aromas, still not completely open yet, but the volcanic influence is loud and clear. The mouth is opulent, powerful, salivating… The Rangen pulls this grape away from the classic standards. The roundness generated by some residual sweetness is well in control by the tannic and strict palate structure. Long finish…. To keep !
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.