Technical presentation
| Bottling : | January 2022 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 13.6° |
| Residual sugar : | 8 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 3.0 g/l H2SO4 (4.5 g/l Acide Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.4 |
| Yield : | 23 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2025-2045+ |
| Average age of vines : | 57 years |
| Terroir : | Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain |
| Sweetness index : | 1 |
| Available for sale : | Yes |
| Soil : | South facing, Very steep slope, Volcanique ( tufs & |
Description of the wine Pinot Gris Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos St Urbain 2020
The steep slopes of the Grand Cru Rangen overlook the old town of Thann and the River Thur which flows at its feet. This hillside is certainly one of the most spectacular in Alsace (and France?) but its reputation in the history of Alsace wine actually comes from its unique and rare geology. Composed of greywackes (compressed volcanic ash), the terroir of Rangen is capable of making wines that have a strength of taste that defies understanding. More than anything, the Rangen also produces wines with incomparable energy. As with many Pinot-Gris produced on the estate, obtaining dry wines is now easier than sweet wines (quality botrytis is rare) provided of course that harvest is done at the optimal date. In the past, the harvest in Alsace was spread over several weeks or months. With global warming, it is necessary to be able to harvest the same surface two to three times faster, which also implies an organization allowing to be more reactive in the cellar. Pinot Gris Rangen is a wine that ferments quickly, but prolonged aging (17 months for the 2020) in foudres on total lies allows its powerful balance to be more refined.
Tasting notes
01/2022 : Bright yellow color. The nose expresses, with almost violence, powerful smoky aromas, gun flint, crushed volcanic rocks… The Rangen is very present in this wine! The palate is intense, broad and the wine is already superbly expressive. It is difficult to explain the energy of this wine through numbers or words, but it is present, especially on the finish. Very long, this Rangen makes you salivate and becomes very enticing thanks to a synergy between the salified acidity and beautiful bitterness, typical of Rangen’s volcanic greywackes.
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.