Technical presentation
| Bottling : | September 2003 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 15° |
| Residual sugar : | 38.0 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 3.9 g/l H2SO4 |
| pH : | 3.8 |
| Yield : | 23 hl/ha |
| Average age of vines : | 33 years |
| Terroir : | Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain |
| Sweetness index : | 4 |
| Available for sale : | Yes |
| Soil : | Sedimentary volcanic rocks (Tuffs & Grauwake), South facing, Very steep slope |
Description of the wine Pinot Gris Grand Cru Rangen from Thann Clos Saint Urbain 2002
Just like the Riesling, the yields were very small in the Rangen pinot-gris. It is also much easier for the botrytis to develop on the thinner skins of pinot-gris, compared to the Riesling, but it wasn’t really enough intense to be worth selecting and separating. We much preferred to keep all the parts of the Rangen together. In 2002, the fermentation was powerful, despite the high acidity, and relatively short by our standards (2.5 months).
Tasting notes
01/2004 : The nose is very characteristic of the Rangen in Thann. The volcanic soil gives strong flinty, smoky (almost peaty!) aromas to the wine. The powerful structure, identical to the 2000 vintage, but with more acidity, hides a lot the residual sweetness. The finish is very long and shows some noble bitterness. This is a wine with a great 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.