Zind-Humbrecht | Alsace | Gewürztraminer Rangen de Thann Clos-Saint-Urbain Grand Cru | 2017 | 750ml | bio

Description

Product description for Zind-Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Rangen de Thann Clos-Saint-Urbain Grand Cru 2017 (bio)

Vintage

The 2017 vintage will go down in the history of this winery. For Olivier Humbrecht, it is one of the three best vintages since the winery was founded in 1959. However, this time frost and hail limited the harvest to an average of less than 20 hl/ha. After an early bud break, two cold spells with sub-zero temperatures on April 21 and 22 exposed even more sheltered areas to frost. An unusually icy east wind froze vines in vineyards like the Herrenweg de Turckheim, which had never froze in the 60 years that Olivier’s father witnessed. A hailstorm in the Brand vineyard fortunately had no major consequences. Midsummer was hot, August milder, and the harvest began on August 29 with Pinot Gris Roche Roulée, followed by terroirs such as Rotenberg, Heimbourg, Goldert… A light rain on September 2 accelerated ripening. The Rieslings were harvested starting on September 11, and the harvest was completed with Rangen, Hengst, and Clos Jebsal on September 26. Only Clos Jebsal showed minor signs of botrytis.

Vineyard

Gewurztraminer holds a special place in Rangen. The volcanic terroir has the ability to significantly transform this grape variety, giving it a unique aromatic profile and a distinctive structure. The greywacke of Rangen comes from the dust and ash of the extinct Molkenrain volcano, located a few kilometers away in the Vosges Mountains, whose sediments were deposited on the seabed and then transformed into hard, dense rock. The soil is rich in mineral elements, which results in a very high dry extract and a salinity in the wines. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in the Rangen vineyards. The two small plots of Gewurztraminer are located in the lower part of the Clos Saint Urbain, directly above the Thur River. This is both the most protected area – ideal for this sensitive grape variety – and the one where the soil contains the most clay at depth.

Fermentation

The wine has 26 g/l of residual sugar, 2.8 g of acidity, and 3.65 pH. The harvest was 19 hl/ha.

Color

Medium straw yellow

Nose

If you compare the Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Riesling from the Clos Saint Urbain, the first thing that strikes you is the flint-like, gunpowder-like aroma of the young wines. This reduction note is striking, but dissipates quite quickly. What follows is the marriage of the volcanic rock with this grape variety. The tuff and greywacke make the Gewurztraminer appear light and suspended, almost singing. The wine presents itself in the glass as stony, smoky, fresh, and clear with notes of grapefruit and apricot. Typical nuances of nutmeg and rose petals are only very subtle.

Palate

On the palate, the Gewurztraminer Rangen is powerful and present with light yellow notes of citrus and stone fruit. On the one hand, it appears creamy with a hint of vanilla, almost smooth and coating the entire mouth; on the other hand, despite a restrained 2.8 grams of acidity, it actually reveals itself as acidic with a certain pressure on the palate. Added to this is the silky tannin structure with a distinctive saltiness, which ensures easy drinking. Rangen provides an ideal terroir for Gewurztraminer, allowing this grape variety to develop and acquire a new and unusual character. As with the other 2017 vintages, transparency, clarity, and aromatics, texture and structure, as well as a deep minerality, bring greatness to the wine.

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Keywords: Zind-Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Rangen de Thann Clos-Saint-Urbain Grand Cru 2017 bio Alsace France

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