Technical presentation
| Bottling : | February 2019 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 13 ° |
| Residual sugar : | 4.2 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 3.7 g/l H2SO4 (5.7 g/l Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.10 |
| Yield : | 19 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2022-2042+ |
| Average age of vines : | 55 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 Grand Cru Rangen from Thann Clos Saint Urbain 2017
The Grand Cru Rangen is the southernmost vineyard in Alsace, but in fact it has late ripening characteristics. The higher altitude (350m to 480m elevation), the proximity of higher summits and the depth of the valley bringing cold winds explain why the budbreak is much later. With the extremely steep slope comes also a natural draft that also follows the river at the bottom of the Grand Cru. All these characteristics explain why the Rangen didn’t suffer from frost damage in 2017. Yields are small, despite higher vine densities (10000 vines/ha). The sedimentary volcanic rock produces interesting high surface clay and is naturally rich in minerals. It allows the vine roots to grow deep and find stability in soil that looks incredibly poor on the surface. The Rangen behave incredibly well in 2017 and it was a real pleasure to find a normal crop there, that also fermented extremely well.
Tasting notes
03/2019: Bright intense yellow colour. The nose is powerful, dominated by the volcanic rock with flinty smoky aromas. It opens eventually on more fruit but also an almost medicinal character. This wine needs patience. The palate structure is dense and tight, complex, mostly built on the saline minerality and tight tannic extract. The acidity brings freshness, but isn’t the most important part of the wine. Enthusiastic wine that needs serious attention from the tasters.
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.