“No other single vineyard in Alsace comes close to Rangen for sheer force of personality, and if I was asked to nominate any vineyard anywhere in the world as producing ‘the ultimate terroir wine,’ Rangen de Thann would be it,” proclaims Andrew Jefford in Decanter. One taste of Schoech’s exceptionally rare “Harmonie R” will explain why it ranks among the most breathtaking and historic of French Grand Crus. With just a fraction of a hectare to their name, Schoech’s slice of rarefied vines, on average, yield about 800 bottles annually. Somehow, that’s supposed to be fairly distributed throughout the world’s greatest restaurants and wine shops, but when it came to today’s luxuriously powerful 2015 vintage, we defenestrated fairness and immediately pounced on what little we could.
Besides its painfully limited production, Schoech’s “Harmonie R” is a bonafide representation of Alsatian tradition because its the only wine that sacrifices the “Grand Cru” title by blending together the three noble grapes of this illustrious site: Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer. The rare results are an appropriately lush, bone-dry, and vividly genuine expression of Rangen de Thann’s inimitable terroir. Any legitimate wine lover/collector would be privileged to own a couple of bottles of this now-or-never offer.
We could dedicate multiple pages to detailing the numerous characteristics that make Rangen de Thann one of France’s most bewildering Grand Crus, but here are the key points: Rangen de Thann Grand Cru has been continually producing wine since the 1200s, and at 1,400+ feet, it is the highest-elevation Grand Cru in Alsace, a good 40% higher than other top sites in the region. With a 95% incline, it is also the steepest Grand Cru in the region, making it not only impossible to farm mechanically but extremely difficult to farm at all! The soil of Rangen, meanwhile, is primarily stone of volcanic origin, which makes it the only volcanic-soil Grand Cru in Alsace. Clearly, this is a singular site that produces singularly majestic wines.
In terms of character, the wines of Rangen are revered for their immense power and concentration, derived from the site’s southern location and south-facing orientation. There’s also incredible minerality, structure, and freshness from its elevation, slope and difficult soils. Olivier Humbrecht, Alsace icon and the region’s first Master of Wine (and one of the two largest landholders in Rangen de Thann), says: “You cannot exploit a vineyard as difficult as Rangen and make generic wine,” and marvels at how this hillside’s wines are reliably “powerful” and possessing “a fine, salty acidity that will never be sharp.” I personally identify the finest examples of this Grand Cru by the subtle flinty/volcanic aromatic note that is unlike anything else in Alsace. Altogether, it’s a complex and enthralling experience.
The Schoech family lives one hour north in Ammerschwihr, but in 2001 they jumped at the opportunity to acquire the minuscule (.15-hectare) parcel of Rangen de Thann Grand Cru that produces today’s wine. The Schoech’s narrow slice of rows sits at the very top of Rangen and is composed primarily of Pinot Gris and Riesling, with a small amount of Gewürztraminer. All fruit is harvested and pressed together and this sacred trinity of Alsace white varieties makes for a true “terroir wine.” It’s all here: the opulence of Grand Cru Pinot Gris; the intensity and aromatic complexity of Riesling; the exotically alluring spice of Gewürztraminer. Still, appellation law stipulates that a wine must be single-varietal to bear Rangen’s name and Grand Cru designation on the label, so, rather than pull up their Riesling and Gewürztraminer vines and damage this exceptional wine, the Schoech family instead labels the wine “Harmonie R”—and charges far less than its downslope neighbors. It's a win-win for everyone.
Because “Harmonie R” is strictly aged in stainless steel and allowed to rest for two years in bottle before release, today’s 2015 is in a remarkable drinking window. Further, this blockbuster vintage brought massive intensity and concentration that had Riesling and Pinot Gris bursting at the seams with flavor and atomized minerality. It pours a healthy yellow-gold in the glass and shimmers with bright silver reflections. On the nose, ripe pineapple, apricot, yellow apples, green mango, white peach, lemon curd, citrus blossoms, honeysuckle, smoke, crushed volcanic rock, candied ginger, wild herbs, and exotic spices blast out in harmony and increase in intensity over time. The palate is vivid, lush, and brimming with concentrated tension that just lingers on the succulent yet dry finish. After a minimum 30-minute decant, I suggest serving in all-purpose or large Burgundy stems around 55 degrees and recalling the mantra that the world’s greatest wines—especially those from Alsace—deliver the goods regardless of the context. So, although the food pairings for this Grand Cru beauty are endless, don’t worry about finding the perfect one because today’s wine is built to impress regardless. One more thing: these wines age incredibly well—10 or 15 years is not out of the question. Cheers!
