Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos-Saint-Urbain Grand Cru 2017

A white wine of cool, austere power that nonetheless remains approachable from the first sip. Smoke and stone carry the bright fruit, and the length is outstanding.

The Grand Cru Rangen de Thann rises at a 68-degree gradient above the small town of Thann and is Alsace's steepest vineyard site. Across 5.5 hectares of volcanic rock, the vines root in soil full of volcanic chunks and angular stones; ploughing is done with a winch. The 54-year-old roots have given the grapes an individual character over the years.

Pinot Gris from a year in which frost on 21 and 22 April reduced the crop across the whole estate; on the Rangen, yield came to 26 hl/ha. Harvest here took place on 26 September, before overripeness set in. Fermentation proceeded powerfully and quickly through to the end of the sugar, after which the wine spent 18 months in barrel on full lees. 1.6 g/l residual sugar with 3 g acidity and pH 3.6, 14.0% ABV.

Full and coating on the palate, juicy, with bright, citrus-clear fruit and smoky, flinty notes that underline its austerity. Fine creaminess and a silky tannin lend texture, along with stony spice, salt, iodine, wax and resin. On the nose, gunpowder appears first, and after airing, blossom, bright citrus notes and curry emerge.

Steamed sole on lobster bisque with fennel seeds, saddle of hare with mushroom ragout and white wine pears, or asparagus risotto with saffron.

Olivier Humbrecht, the first Frenchman to hold the title of Master of Wine, converted the estate to biodynamics starting in 1996, which he describes as a therapy that helps the vines forget stress. No wine leaves the cellar before one to two years of ageing. He counts the 2017 vintage among the three best since the estate's founding in 1959.