Technical presentation
| Bottling : | September 2012 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 15.5° |
| Residual sugar : | 5.0 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 3.4 g/l H2SO4 (5.2 g/l Acide Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.7 |
| Yield : | 25 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2015-2036 |
| Average age of vines : | 48 years |
| Grape variety : | Pinot Gris |
| 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 Pinot Gris Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain 2011
Only the oldest vines of Pinot Gris planted in 1963 in the Rangen were used to produce the Grand Cru in 2011. Less sensitive to rot (noble rot), they produced a wine that had the potential to become much drier. We took the decision to separate the old vines from the ones planted in the period 1978-1986 in order to respect the two very different styles of wines these vines produced. The difference isn’t just on the richness/sweetness of the wines but also on the complexity brought by older vines. It is very difficult to produce a dry Pinot Gris and actually quite rare at the top level where it is more frequent to find sweeter wines. The Rangen is capable to bring structure to a grape variety that can sometimes be too soft. The fermentation was very quick (4 weeks) and a long total lees contact was necessary in order to round up its powerful constitution.
Tasting notes
02/2013 : Pale yellow gold color. The nose is classic Rangen with all its mineral and smoky intensity. Still quite restrained and without any varietal influence, the palate shows right from the start a great subtle volcanic influence and a quiet strength, still on its reserve but very persisting. This wine basically doesn’t change once open for weeks! The character of the vineyard shows more on the palate for the moment. The finish is dry and pure, without any influence of over ripe character. It does remind me a lot of the 1990 !
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.