Technical presentation
| Bottling : | September 2012 |
|---|---|
| Acquired alcohol : | 16.5° |
| Residual sugar : | 17.1 g/l |
| Total acidity : | 4. g/l H2SO4 (6.4 g/l Acide Tartrique) |
| pH : | 3.7 |
| Yield : | 30 hl/ha |
| Optimum tasting : | 2015-2031 |
| Average age of vines : | 30 years |
| Grape variety : | Pinot Gris |
| Terroir : | Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain |
| Sweetness index : | 2 |
| Soil : | Sedimentary volcanic rocks (Tuffs & Grauwake), South facing, Very steep slope |
Description of the wine Pinot Gris Thann 2011
Just like the Riesling, the Pinot Gris is planted all over the Clos-Saint-Urbain on various altitudes. The oldest part dates back to the early 1960’s and the rest was planted between 1978 and 1989. These later planted vineyards were often assembled with the oldest vines, except in vintages where there would be a major difference in style or quality. The volcanic soil of the Rangen is located just above a river at the exit of a valley and is therefore prone to botrytis development due to the fog often present in autumn. This was particularly important in 2011. The Pinot Gris Thann is only produced on the younger vines that developed noble rot (the oldest ones were harvested very healthy) which explains a little more residual sweetness despite a long and powerful fermentation.
Tasting notes
02/2013 : Intense golden color. The nose is powerful and reveals the origin of the grapes: smoke, flint, dried apricots and the usual aromas associated with noble rot like honey, dried fruits, cacao… The palate is powerful and dense. There is for the moment an interesting fight between the residual sweetness and the Terroir. The acidity and the noble bitterness work together to reduce the sweetness sensation that almost disappear on the finish.
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.