Riesling Rangen de Thann "Clos Saint Urbain" 2021 Grand Cru Zind Humbrecht | Alsace

In the hierarchy of Alsace's great dry wines, Domaine Zind Humbrecht 's Riesling Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain stands out for its telluric power and mineral verticality. Hand-grown on the vertiginous slopes of the Grand Cru Rangen overlooking the commune of Thann in southern Alsace, the Clos Saint Urbain parcel, held in monopoly by Domaine Zind Humbrecht since 1977, rests on dark volcanic rock. Facing due south and rising to an altitude of almost 500 metres, this mythical Alsace terroir produces a Riesling de garde with an inimitable personality. Cultivated biodynamically and vinified without the use of inputs, the wine is aged for a long time on its lees in ancient tuns to express the raw energy of the Rangen. In this vintage, the slow ripening of the grapes enabled us to retain a trace of acidity and develop the characteristic aromas of the volcanic soil.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : The Riesling Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain from Domaine Zind Humbrecht offers a deep, crystalline interpretation of this extreme volcanic terroir. Its mineral complexity, vibrant structure and saline finish make it an exceptional wine. As Olivier Humbrecht points out, Clos Saint Urbain always delivers an intense, smoky, taut style, capable of maturing admirably over ten to twenty years. The 2021 vintage confirms this lineage, with the dazzling energy that marks the great vintages of this unique place.

On the nose, the wine captures with panache all the intensity of its volcanic terroir, with marked aromas of wet flint, warm earth and smoke. The whole retains a surprising freshness, almost austere due to the wine's youth. In the background, with aeration, a fruity filigree emerges that will require a few years of cellaring to blossom.

On the palate, the delicate attack establishes an impressive minerality that structures the wine's fine substance. The acidity of the vintage becomes ripe and precise, lengthening the whole towards smoky aromas of wild herbs and gunflint. The subtle, elegant salinity of the finish brings phenomenal length. The racy intensity that permeates the whole is true to the hallmark of Clos Saint Urbain in the expert hands of Domaine Zind Humbrecht.