Alsace grand cru Rangen

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• Le Rangen, the southernmost grand cru of Alsace, covers 22 ha in a single contiguous block across the communes of Thann and Vieux-Thann, at elevations between 350 m and 450 m. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The soils, of Carboniferous age (Devono-Dinantian), are composed of sedimentary volcanic rocks: greywackes, volcanic tuffs, and brown micaceous andesite.
• The topsoil layer, 40 to 60 cm deep, overlies a fractured bedrock that allows roots to penetrate to considerable depth.
• Above-average rainfall (850 mm per year) and a steep gradient (averaging 90%) give Rangen a late-ripening microclimate characterised by slow maturation.
• The lean, clay-poor soil encourages naturally low yields, while its dark colour and proximity to the Thur river contribute to the high levels of ripeness achieved late in the season.

• The appellation was recognised in 1983, on the basis of a practice recorded as early as 1945 in the ordinance of 2 November, which provided for sub-regional, communal, and local delimitations.
• Rangen once produced a wine reputed to be so powerful that its name had given rise to a popular oath throughout Germany in the sixteenth century. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The dry wines display a colour intensity ranging up to golden yellow and slightly amber old-gold, while the Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles reach an amber-yellow hue.
• Vendanges Tardives often show highly exotic and candied-fruit aromas with a fresh finish, while Sélections de Grains Nobles often present fruit-paste aromas and a more pronounced concentration.

• The volcanic nature of the soil gives the wines a golden colour, great mineral intensity, acidity, and a noble bitterness, together with a long finish underpinned by a refined, ripe acidity.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF), JORF 29 juin 2016,
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — CIVA