Rangen, Grand Cru vineyard in Thann and Vieux-Thann, France.
Rangen is a Grand Cru vineyard in Thann, in the Alsace region of France, planted on steep volcanic slopes above the Thur river. The dark rock beneath the vines absorbs heat from the sun and keeps the grapes warm even when the surrounding air cools down.
Written records from the 12th century already mention wine transactions on the Rangen parcels, shortly after the town of Thann was founded. The vineyard gradually built a reputation that was formally recognized when the Grand Cru classification was established in Alsace in the 20th century.
The name Rangen likely comes from a old Germanic word for steep terrain, which is immediately obvious to anyone walking along the rows. Every task here, from pruning to picking, is done by hand because no machine can work on slopes this sharp.
Sturdy shoes are important because the paths along the slopes are steep and become slippery after rain. Walking from the bottom upward gives a good sense of the full height of the vineyard and how the land is arranged.
The rock beneath Rangen is one of the very few volcanic formations found in all of Alsace, which gives the wines a mineral and slightly smoky flavor that sets them apart from neighboring vineyards. This same rock naturally contains sulfur compounds that help keep pests away without extra treatment.
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