First, we had one blind white to open up our senses:
Medium-deep yellow-green color. Dry and markedly non-fruity yet still quite expressive nose with aromas of hay, slivered almonds, some spicy herbal tones typical of Marsanne, light crunchy notes of McIntosh apple, a mineral hint of stone dust and a sweeter touch of honeydew melon. The wine is dry, spicy and somewhat oily on the palate with a quite full body and quite intense flavors of slivered almonds, some floral spice, a little bit of sweet golden apple, light stony mineral tones, spicy hints of dried herbs and wildhoney and a touch of creamy richness suggesting oak aging. Rather high in acidity, which keeps the big body in check and gives good sense of balance to the wine. The finish is ripe, long and quite intense with flavors of dried herbs, nutty spices, some almond notes, a little bit of ripe golden apple and a hint of stony minerality.
A balanced, quite spicy and surprisingly serious Côtes-du-Rhône that shows remarkably good acid structure for a 2015 Southern Rhône white. My guesses were all over the place, ranging from an oak-aged US Pinot Gris to Etna Bianco. Very singular and quite hard to place anywhere - which seems true for so many Southern Rhône whites. Although the wine is quite understated in fruit flavors, it certainly doesn’t lack in depth or intensity - it just speaks in a language many are not accustomed to. Definitely a food wine. Fine stuff, most likely will continue to improve for years more and keep for even longer. (91 pts.)
Then, the theme wines of the evening:
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2013 Wolfberger Pinot Gris Rangen - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (29.7.2020)
Tasted in a lineup of 10 Rangen Pinot Gris wines. 13,5% alcohol, 28,3 g/l residual sugar.
Quite intense, youthful and pretty luminous lime-green color. Fragrant, perfumed and even relatively floral nose that gives an impression that a touch of Gewurztraminer has made its way into the blend. Aromas of lychee, some candied notes of gummi bears, light honeyed tones, a little bit of applesauce, a hint of rosewater and a touch of ripe green pear. The wine is youthful, lively and relatively acid-driven on the palate with a moderately full body, somewhat oily mouthfeel and medium-sweet flavors of honeydew melon, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of Golden Delicious apple, light floral tones, a hint of exotic spices and a touch of lychee. The rather high acidity lends a wonderfully harmonious overall feel to the wine. The moderately sweet finish is long and precise with intense flavors of spicy red apples, some exotic spices, a little bit of honeyed richness, light notes of cantaloupe, a hint of cool stony minerality and a touch of perfumed floral character.
A very nice, tasty and markedly youthful Pinot Gris that does not betray its age one little bit. Although the wine is quite lush and relatively sweet - quite typical of Rangen Pinot Gris - the wine is wonderfully precise and acid-driven for the style, lending it good sense of freshness and lots of aging potential. The wine was very delicious but at the same time so youthful it felt almost too young for consumption - something I witness very rarely in a Pinot Gris turning 7 years old. Even though Wolfberger is considered a lesser producer in Rangen, this wine easily exceeded expectations; it is a terrific effort that will improve for years more. Good value at 25,50€. (92 pts.)
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2004 Wolfberger Pinot Gris Rangen - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (29.7.2020)
Tasted in a lineup of 10 Rangen Pinot Gris wines. 13% alcohol, 40,4 g/l residual sugar.
Developed and rather deep burnished golden yellow color. Somewhat evolved, complex and quite attractive nose with aromas of sweet exotic spices, some medicinal herbs, a little bit of beeswax, light bruised apple tones, a hint of smoke and a touch of fried porcini mushrooms. The wine is full-bodied, oily and somewhat viscous on the palate with lush, somewhat evolved and noticeably medium-sweet flavors of honey, some nectarine, a little bit of beeswax, light sweet notes of applesauce, a hint of bitter spices and a touch of fruit salad’s syrup. The modest-to-medium acidity doesn’t really bring much freshness or sense of structure to the wine, but it is enough to keep the wine from tasting blowzy. The finish is juicy, long and quite complex and matured, medium-sweet flavors of spicy red apples, some bitter spices, a little bit of poached pear, light notes beeswax and a hint of stony minerality.
A fine, sophisticated and harmonious Pinot Gris with some age. The wine is quite lush and opulent, making it a borderline VT wine, but it still feels more like a rich white wine, not a full-blown dessert wine. The complex, evolved flavors of bruised apples, exotic spices and beeswax lend the wine’s flavors a wonderful sense of depth. It’s quite a treat on its own, but it is also a perfect match for firm, salty cheeses. I can also imagine this would pair nicely with many Asian dishes that don’t call for high acidity. All in all, a fine sweet Pinot Gris. Peaking now; will keep good for many more years, but I doubt the wine will continue to improve anymore from here. Terrific value at 20,95€. Recommended. (93 pts.)
Deep burnished golden yellow color with subtly greenish overtones. Very sweet and intense yet not super-expressive nose with relatively youthful yet not young aromas of orange marmalade, some wizened peach, a little bit of poached pear and a fragrant hint of dried herbs. The wine is sweet, full-bodied and moderately weighty on the palate with intense flavors of luscious honey, orange marmalade, some wizened peach, a little bit of cloudberry jam, a hint of exotic spice and a touch of dried herbs. The medium-to-moderately high acidity doesn’t feel high enough for the residual sugar, making the wine feel very oily and fat, but manages to make it retain some sense of balance. The long finish is rich, juicy and sweet with intense flavors of orange marmalade, some developed nutty tones, a little bit of honeyed richness, light notes of beeswax and a hint of overripe apple.
A delicious, harmonious and very juicy Grand Cru VT. Probably due to the hot 2009 vintage the wine feels a bit too lush and heavy for the modest acidity, making it come across as somewhat ponderous and heavy; this seems to be all about concentrated fruit and power, not freshness or structure. It seems to be a best fit for aromatic cheeses and savory desserts. Based on how youthful the wine feels even after 11 years, this will keep for a long time - no hurries whatsoever with this. I can imagine it will continue to evolve for another decade or so and keep for even longer. Despite all its gras, this is pretty lovely stuff. Priced according to its quality at 36€. (92 pts.)
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2007 Château d’Orschwihr Pinot Gris Rangen - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (29.7.2020)
Made with fruit from a plot planted in 1991, harvested in mid-October 2007 and bottled in late May 2008. 13% alcohol, 28,3 g/l residual sugar, 5,9 g/l acidity and 187 mg/l SO2. Tasted in a lineup of 10 Rangen Pinot Gris wines.
Luminous, pale golden yellow color. Remarkably understated nose with subtle, dry aromas of stone dust, some wizened pear and a hint of waxy richness. Offers surprisingly little of anything. The wine is oily, medium-sweet and full-bodied on the palate with a very balanced overall feel but rather understated flavors of honey, some creamy tones, a little bit of bruised apple, light spicy mineral tones, a hint of cantaloupe and a touch of fruit salad. The sugary sweetness feels more apparent here than any obvious fruit flavors. Nevertheless, the overall feel is surprisingly youthful for a wine clocking at 13 years of age and the acidity feels high enough to lend the wine good sense of balance and freshness. The finish is medium-long with delicate medium-dry flavors of exotic spices, some apricot, a little bit of stony minerality and a sweet hint of honey.
A pleasant but remarkably underwhelming Pinot Gris that comes across as surprisingly dilute in flavor, even though otherwise the wine doesn’t come across as dilute or underwhelming one little bit: there is quite a bit of body, sweetness and acidity here. Only the nose and taste lack the intensity one expects from a Grand Cru Pinot Gris. This was pretty good stuff and it will not only keep but develop for many years more, but as a whole, this was not on par with the rest of the Rangen Pinot Gris wines we tasted. Pricey for the quality at 29€. (87 pts.)
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2001 Château d’Orschwihr Pinot Gris Rangen Vendanges Tardives - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (29.7.2020)
Made with fruit from a plot planted in 1991, harvested in mid-October 2001 and bottled in late May 2002. 13,9% alcohol, 52 g/l residual sugar, 7,05 g/l acidity and 159 mg/l SO2. Tasted in a lineup of 10 Rangen Pinot Gris wines.
Concentrated, luminous burnished color with a noticeably bronze core. Fascinating, evolved nose with mature aromas of roasted chestnuts and barley, some acacia honey, a little bit of spicy wildhoney, light notes of bruised apple, a hint of leather and a touch of caramel. The wine is remarkably intense on the palate with moderately full body and medium-sweet flavors of spicy wildhoney and pronounced exotic spices, moderately noticeable chalky bitterness and stony minerality, some notes of leather, a little bit of caramel, light notes of beeswax, a hint of bruised apple and a touch of hazelnut praline. Layers upon layers of flavors. The acidity feels surprisingly high for the acidity, keeping the acidity well at bay and lending great sense of structure to the wine. The finish is rich, quite sweet and slightly bitter with intense and precise flavors of honey, chopped nuts, some bruised apple, a little bit of dried apricots, light smoky tones, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of caramel.
A wonderful, complex and precise VT that showcases the precision and minerality the best Rangen wines can attain. At almost 20 years of age, the wine is starting to show its age, but it still isn’t going downhill. Thanks to its concentration of flavor and remarkable acidity, this will keep for a long time. Impressive and delicious. Good value at 45€. (94 pts.)
Quite deep, concentrated and still pretty youthful greenish-yellow color. Lush yet slightly restrained nose with very ripe aromas of juicy green pear, some honey, a little bit of mineral spice, light candied notes of gummi bear, a sweet hint of applesauce and a touch of almost overripe nectarine. The wine is intense, concentrated and remarkably rich on the palate with a very full body and sweet flavors of honey, lemon curd, some cooked sweet cream, light overripe apricot tones, a hint of marmalade candies and a touch of lean stony minerality that manages to cut through all the richness. The overall feel is quite opulent with medium-plus acidity and slightly sticky mouthfeel. The finish is sweet, quite long and slightly sticky with bold flavors of lemon marmalade, some honey, a little bit of creaminess, light notes of very ripe nectarine, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of poached pear. The high alcohol lends a hint of warmth to the aftertaste.
A bold and still remarkably youthful GC Pinot Gris from the sweet end. The wine seems to be all about power, weight and opulence. With its noticeably rich, lush qualities, quite high alcohol and rather modest acidity, the wine feels like it is lacking a bit in balance, but the sense of concentration, depth of flavor and spicy mineral core help in keeping the wine harmonious and not clumsy despite its size. Seeing how the wine seems so remarkably young for a Pinot Gris at 9 years of age, it is easy to guess this is built for the long run. Most likely the wine is going to be hitting its peak only after another decade or so in a cellar and will keep good for much longer. Now the wine might be a bit too monolithic, but I can imagine it will be terrific if it loses its baby fat and gains some additional tertiary complexity. Priced according to its quality at 42€. (93 pts.)
Quite deep and rather concentrated honey-yellow color with a subtly coppery core. Restrained but also very fine-tuned, layered nose with sweetish aromas of beeswax, nutty complexity, some bruised apple, a little bit of cloudberry liqueur, light peanut butter tones and a sweet, creamy hint of crema catalana. The wine is intense, oily and quite luscious on the palate with medium-sweet flavors of overripe pineapple, some nectarine, a little bit of fruit salad, slight developed notes of sweet cream, hints of applesauce and freshly-pressed apple juice and a touch of slightly bitter exotic spices. The medium-plus acidity doesn’t feel adequate enough to lend the wine much freshness or sense of structure, but it nevertheless keeps the wine nicely in balance and its big body well in check. The finish is ripe, sweet-toned and slightly sticky with quite lengthy flavors of overripe pear, some honey, a little bit of cantaloupe, light stony mineral notes, a hint of exotic spices and a touch of smoke.
Tasting this wine alongside the Clos St. Théobald 2011, this wine felt both more evolved than the 2011, but at the same time showing a bit more freshness with its slightly higher acidity, lower alcohol and more vibrant fruit. Compared to the very characterful and distinctive Rangen Pinot Gris wines of Zind-Humbrecht, these Schoffit wines felt quite a bit more polished and less thrilling, but also more reliable and consistent with a style that is quite similar from vintage to another. All in all, a fine, complex and nicely matured Grand Cru Pinot Gris VT that is still relatively youthful for its age. Drinking pretty nicely now, but I can imagine this will continue to improve for at least a handful of years more. Good value at 38€. (94 pts.)
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2009 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (29.7.2020)
Tasted in a lineup of 10 Rangen Pinot Gris wines. Made from biodynamically farmed, late-harvested Pinot Gris grapes from the Clos Saint Urbain monopole vineyard in Grand Cru Rangen. Bottled in September 2010. 14% alcohol. 27 g/l residual sugar, 4.35 g/l acidity and pH 4,0.
Pale golden yellow color. Intense, fragrant and quite fascinating nose with aromas of wild flowers, some apricot marmalade candies, a little bit of dried peach, light volatile notes of ether, a hint of oxidative nuttiness and a touch of roasted spices suggesting sun-burnt grapes. The wine is intense, somewhat sweet and quite noticeably bitter on the palate with a full body and rather extracted overall feel. Very powerful, opulent flavors of honeydew melon, some overripe white peach, a little bit of applesauce, light bitter spicy tones, wild hints of waxy funk and ethery VA and a touch of pea soup. The wine is lacking a bit in balance, due to its rather low acidity and quite noticeably hot alcohol. The finish is quite warm, concentrated and somewhat bitter with bold, medium-sweet flavors of honey, some extracted spicy bitterness, light waxy funk tones, a hint of overripe pineapple and a grappa-ish touch of fusel alcohols.
A dead-serious, super-massive and rather ponderous Grand Cru Pinot Gris that is lacking freshness and balance. Although the quite noticeable bitterness keeps the sweetness from the residual sugar at bay, it also makes the wine somewhat unenjoyable and rough on the palate - a feeling which is only emphasized by the rather pronounced alcohol heat. Although the wine is quite impressive and surprisingly complex, it doesn’t feel as enjoyable as the 2008 vintage or the Clos St. Théobald Pinot Gris wines of Schoffit. I doubt the wine will evolve much from here - it is just something what you could expect from the exceptionally hot 2009 vintage. Although these are supposed to be the top wines of the Rangen Grand Cru, I was not particularly thrilled. Ridiculously overpriced for the quality at 109€. (88 pts.)
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2008 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (29.7.2020)
Tasted in a lineup of 10 Rangen Pinot Gris wines. Made from biodynamically farmed, late-harvested Pinot Gris grapes from the Clos Saint Urbain monopole vineyard in Grand Cru Rangen. Bottled in February 2010. 12,5% alcohol. 46 g/l residual sugar, 7,8 g/l acidity and pH 3,4.
Quite pale and surprisingly youthful yellow-green color. Very characterful, complex and precise nose with singular aromas of play-doh, some minty herbal tones, a little bit of ripe white peach, light notes of exotic spice, a sweet hint of applesauce and a touch of kiwi. The nose is remarkably more youthful and also more linear than in vintages 2009 and 2007. The wine is remarkably intense, precise and racy on the palate with a medium body and quite high-strung, barely medium-sweet flavors of pronounced stony minerality, intense notes of blood orange, some honey, a little bit of tart Granny Smith apple, light quinine notes of bitterness, a hint of pithy pomelo and a touch of spicy and slightly bitter apple peel. The bracing acidity lends the wine remarkable sense of focus and structure, keeping most of the residual sugar sweetness well at bay. The finish is crisp, very long and remarkably acid-driven with focused medium-sweet flavors of apple peel bitterness, Seville orange, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of grapefruit, light steely mineral tones and a hint of smoke.
A beautiful, remarkably mineral and very concentrated Grand Cru Pinot Gris with exceptional levels of acidity that harmonize the high levels of residual sugar beautifully. Technically this is a quite sweet wine, but in reality it is barely medium-sweet, the acidity and sweetness playing so well to each other. Seeing how exceptionally youthful the wine is at 12 years of age, it is easy to promise decades of aging potential to this. The overall feel is the wine is barely in its drinking window and still miles away from its peak. I wouldn’t touch it for another decade or so. Easily some of the greatest Alsatian Pinot Gris I’ve tasted and shows potential to become probably the greatest, if given enough time. Very highly recommended. (96 pts.)
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2007 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (29.7.2020)
Tasted in a lineup of 10 Rangen Pinot Gris wines. Made from biodynamically farmed, late-harvested and partly botrytized Pinot Gris grapes from the Clos Saint Urbain monopole vineyard in Grand Cru Rangen. Bottled in February 2009. 15% alcohol. 22,5 g/l residual sugar, 6 g/l acidity and pH 3,8.
Medium-deep golden yellow color with a concentrated bronze-colored core. The nose feels very aged, robust and rather tertiary with slightly madeirized aromas of walnuts, some Weetabix, a little bit of spicy wildhoney, light developed notes of caramel, a hint of exotic spices and a touch of fish sauce. The wine feels oily, heavy and ponderous on the palate with slightly oxidative and somewhat ponderous medium-sweet flavors of chopped walnuts, some Weetabix, light umami notes of fish sauce, light poached pear tones, a hint of aggressive bitterness suggesting very ripe grapes and a touch of orange marmalade. The acidity feels noticeably low, making the wine come across as somewhat unbalanced - which is only exacerbated by the rather noticeably hot and boozy alcohol. The finish is long, medium-sweet and quite hot with powerful and quite tertiary flavors of developed nuttiness, some honeyed richness, light grainy notes of Weetabix, a little bit of smoke, a hint of tart green apple and a touch of caramel.
Ugh. A rather aggressive and unbalanced monster wine that feels like it is lacking in freshness and focus. Although the wine seems to be quite high in acidity for a Pinot Gris according to the technical analyses, the overall feel is very heavy and ponderous with noticeably low acidity that gets overwhelmed by the concentrated body and high alcohol. This is just way too monolithic for my taste; it isn’t fun to drink on its own and I struggle to come up with anything that this wine could be paired with. Furthermore, it feels like the wine is quite old for its age and already starting to go downhill. I doubt it will benefit from any further aging. Feels incredibly overpriced for the quality at 109€. (81 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
