The late ripening character of the Rangen results in the potential of achieving great physiological ripeness, which is very important when working with a grape variety like Riesling. Despite a solar topography (steep south facing slopes and warm soils) the ripening process is slow and the harvest late, the harvest date quite often being 2 to 3 weeks after the start of harvest. The acidic, well-draining, warm soils of the Rangen are very favourable for Riesling, yet more surprisingly are also well suited to the predominantly limestone grown Pinot Gris. The fact that the Rangen naturally yields very small crops, without any manual intervention (green harvesting), adds to the success of Pinot Gris on these slopes. The poor soils (low in organic matter and topsoil) necessitate high planting density, with the average planting density at 10 000 vines/ha for Domaine Zind Humbrecht at Rangen Thann. The volcanic soil imprints a specific aromatic character and unique personality to the wines grown on this soil. Flint and smoke are the two descriptors most often associated with the wines from this terroir, highlighting the minerality of the Riesling and the earthiness of Pinot Gris. The Gewurztraminer Rangen is rare, not only due to the small proportion of vineyard surface, but the cool winds that exit the valley hamper the flowering (coulure) and result in very small crops. Despite these challenging conditions, the Gewurztraminer from Rangen is capable of great expression of the volcanic terroir. The reason why Gewurztraminer only represents 0.5ha of the Saint Urbain vineyard surface is due to the sensitivity of this grape variety to altitude. The two small parcels of Gewurztraminer planted are located at the bottom of the slope close to the Thur River. It is here where we find high proportions of clay in the soil and warming effect of the reflection of the sunrays off the river. (OH)

Producer

Domaine Zind Humbrecht

Origin

Rangen,, Thann,,,, Alsace, FRANCE

Colour

white

Wine Style

dry

Dominant Grape

Gewurztraminer

Farming Style

biodynamic

Closure Style

cork

Maturity

drink or keep

Bottle Size

75cl

Case Quantity

6

Wine Score