Zind-Humbrecht | Alsace | Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos-Saint-Urbain Grand Cru | 2020 | 750ml | bio

Description

Product description for Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos-Saint-Urbain Grand Cru 2020 (bio)

Wine Info

Olivier Humbrecht:

The steep slopes of the Grand Cru Rangen overlook the old town of Thann and the Thur River flowing at its feet. This slope is certainly one of the most spectacular in Alsace (and France), but its reputation in the history of Alsatian wine actually rests on its unique and rare geology. Composed of greywacke (compressed volcanic ash), Rangen’s terroir is capable of producing wines of impressive flavor intensity. Above all, Rangen produces wines of unparalleled energy.

Vineyard Info

As with many Pinot Gris produced on the estate, it is now easier to produce dry wines than sweet ones (quality botrytis is rare), provided, of course, that the harvest is at its optimal time. In the past, the harvest in Alsace was spread over several weeks or months. Given global warming, it’s necessary to harvest the same area two to three times faster, which also requires a more responsive organization in the cellar. Rangen Pinot Gris is a wine that ferments quickly, but longer aging (17 months for the 2020) in barrels on its lees allows it to refine its powerful balance.

Color

Elegant, medium golden yellow with coppery reflections.

Nose

After a day of opening, it flows from the carafe with an unparalleled intensity. This is Rangen in all its radiance: bitter oranges, candied orange zest, dried apricots, candied ginger, but also light fruits like peach, pear, and honeydew melon. Everything is very juicy and stimulating. Spices like cardamom and cinnamon and subtle hints of incense join in. The typical smoky and flint aromas are still somewhat in the background, but will become more prominent with further maturation. An incredibly elegant and delicate 2020 Pinot Gris from Rangen reveals itself here with fantastic complexity and depth.

Palate

When this monument of a wine hits the tongue, it feels like you’ve just bitten into an overripe pineapple and the juice is running down the corners of your mouth. Fruity sweetness accompanied by fine tannins, compact spice, and a concise and precise acidity. With its salty, crystalline structure, it seems to drift across the tongue before lingering on a seemingly endless finish. It’s still in its infancy and will be even more magnificent and beautiful in a few years than it is now! Be sure to decant it now and enjoy it from large Burgundy glasses. A few days of opening will allow it to enhance its qualities even further.

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Keywords: Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos-Saint-Urbain Grand Cru 2020 bio Alsace France

Wine Advocate

Score: 94

The 2020 Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain offers a clear and pure, smoky or flinty bouquet with dominant ripe seed-fruit aromas. Full-bodied, lush and piquant on the palate, this is a rich, luscious, round but persistently salty, enormously powerful Rangen with some burnt milk flavors on the finish. It’s impressive but not not that fascinating or more stimulating than the Riesling. Bottled with 13.6% stated alcohol plus eight grams per liter of residual sugar and a natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in April 2022.
Stephan Reinhardt

Producer website: http://www.zindhumbrecht.fr/