Winemaker Notes
Savor as an aperitif or with simple dishes that showcase the wine.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From 50-year-old vines on sedimentary volcanic rocks that yielded 23 hectoliters per hectare after a severe hailstorm in early August that reduced the crop by 20% to 50%, the 2012 Riesling Clos Saint-Urbain Rangen de Thann is super clear, fresh and deep as well as intense on the refined and spicy nose that is aromatic yet also precise, with salty notes of crushed volcanic rocks. Full-bodied, rich and intense on the palate, this is a deep, very aromatic and fruity as well as enormously mineral and tensioned Clos Saint Urbain that is based on perfectly ripe and healthy fruits. Rating: 96+
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a grandiose wine from the most southerly of Alsace’s grands crus. It is rich, certainly, although in balance without any hint of excess. A complex structure powers the intense fruits and generous ripe yellow and citrus flavors. Concentrated from low yields and old vines, this wine needs to age many years. Don’t touch before 2020.
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Wine Spectator
A bright, lip-smacking white, underscored by zesty minerality, this meshes a powerful structure of acidity and minerality with accessible flavors of peach skin, tangerine peel, plum, wet stone and ground ginger. The long finish resonates with hints of crystallized honey, smoke and stone. Drink now through 2029.
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Wine & Spirits
The intense hailstorm that hit the Rangen vineyard in August of 2012 diminished the crop significantly. The remaining fruit produced an intensely concentrated wine that is dry and mineral driven. Lemon confit flavors give way to a wash of bright citrus, developing savory flavors of cheese rind on the finish. A flinty minerality holds it all together, but the wine is tightly wound and will benefit from a few years in the cellar.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
Small but mighty, this picturesque region in northeastern France is renowned for its white wines produced by passionate families whose winemaking roots span generations and even centuries. Nestled between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River, Alsace benefits from a sunny, dry climate and a long growing season. It is one of the most geologically diverse regions in the world — one of the many reasons why Alsace rocks!
Alsace wines include dry, mineral-driven Riesling, earthy Pinot Gris, refreshing Pinot Blanc, exuberant Gewurztraminer, elegant Pinot Noir, and more. From traditional-method sparkling wines to easy-drinking AOC Alsace, to complex Grand Cru bottlings from 51 distinct sites, and rich, late harvest wines, Alsace produces a wine for every occasion. Most Alsace wines are single-varietal bottlings and are labeled with the grape name. The region is also one of the greenest wine-producing areas in France, with 36% of its vineyard area certified organic.
Riesling, the region’s calling card, is dry, fresh and floral in its youth, developing complex mineral and flint character with age. Gewurztraminer is known for its signature spice and lychee aromatics. Pinot Gris is prized for its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavors. Pinot Blanc is an affable food partner or porch sipper. Pinot Noir, the only red grape in AOC Alsace, is now authorized in three Grand Cru areas and is also used for Crémant d’Alsace sparkling rosé. Any bottle you choose will offer deliciousness, pleasure and value that is unprecedented in other wine regions.