Technical presentation
| Bottling : | January 2024 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 12.8° |
| Residual sugar : | 1.4 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 4.4 g/l H2SO4 (6.7 g/l Acide Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.1 |
| Yield : | 25 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2026-2047+ |
| Average age of vines : | 60 years |
| Terroir : | Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain |
| Sweetness index : | 1 |
| Soil : | Sedimentary volcanic rocks (Tuffs & Grauwake) |
Description of the wine Riesling Grand Cru Rangen Thann Clos Saint Urbain 2022
The Rangen Grand Cru is located in the south of Alsace and therefore enjoys a higher altitude (the Rhine River runs north!). The valley of the Thur River that runs directly under the Clos Saint-Urbain is narrow and deep. All these factors explain why this site is in fact late ripening with a budbreak and flowering aften 2 weeks or more later than Turckheim. However, the steep south facing slope and dark volcanic rocks allows this vineyard to catch up later in the season. The Rangen also benefits from higher rainfall (750mm versus only 500 in Turckheim) which is in fact beneficial for a soil that has an exceptional drainage capacity. The volcanic ash was compacted under the see about 350 million years ago. It is rich in specific minerals (magnesium) and does influence a lot the flavour of the wines. The 2022 vintage shows a balance that is quite dry and tense for a very warm and solar vintage. It can be explained by the fact that Thann enjoys a climate that can be quite different from the rest of Alsace.
Tasting notes
01/2024: Pale yellow colour. Restraint nose, profoundly influenced by the volcanic soil: smoke, flint, earthy, which eventually opens to more fruity aromas after a long aeration. Very complex nose but a strong originality and identity. The palate at first appears to have a medium power but builds up to a long dry aftertaste. As often in the past, the Rangen Riesling always manages to hide its power in his youth. Harmonious structure, vivacious acidity which finishes with strong salty flavours, adding to the length of the wine. This wine appears to be delicately chiselled and full of energy in a solar and warm vintage. 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.