Rangen de Thann: the volcanic Grand Cru in Alsace

Rangen at a glance

Geology: greywacke, tuff and an extinct volcano

Geologically speaking, the Rangen is precisely a Grand Cru on volcanic-sedimentary bedrock whose principal component is greywacke. The “greywackes of Thann” date from the Lower Carboniferous, more specifically the Viséan, and are around 345 to 326 million years old. Their material originates from the nearby Molkenrain volcano, which today stands at 1,123 metres. The vines thus grow on deposits whose origin is linked to volcanic processes, not on a young volcanic cone.

This distinction makes the site geologically legible. At the upper forest edge, rhyolitic ignimbrites emerge – welded deposits from pyroclastic flows. At the summit there are volcanic-sedimentary breccias, and tuffs have been described as a further facies. Within the greywacke itself, silicified tree trunks can be found. At the foot of the slope lies an Ice Age terrace with scree of greywacke and granite.

The soils are shallow, stony and dark, and with around 15 per cent clay rather low in clay. Limestone, granite or schist do not determine the character of the slope; what matters is this volcanic-sedimentary terroir, which has no equal among the Alsatian Grand Crus. Chronologically, too, two things do not belong together: the rock is around 340 million years old, whereas the Upper Rhine Graben only rifted open in the Tertiary.

No simple equation of soil and wine style can be derived from this. Yet in the wines one frequently tastes flint, smoke and dark earth, along with a saline tension. These impressions suit a soil that limits root space and allows stones to become visible, without the rock being misunderstood as a direct supplier of aromas. It is precisely the combination of barren bedrock, dense fruit and taut structure that makes the Rangen comprehensible in the glass.

Location, slope and climate

The Rangen lies around 21 kilometres west of Mulhouse in the communes of Thann and Vieux-Thann in the Haut-Rhin. As the southernmost of the 51 Alsatian Grands Crus, it stands at the point where the Thur valley emerges from the Vosges; the next Grand Cru, Ollwiller, is situated some 14 kilometres to the north. The delimited area covers 22.13 hectares, of which 16.69 hectares were planted with vines in 2024.

The vineyards lie at an altitude of roughly 340 to 467 metres, above which rises the wooded Rangenkopf at 605 metres. Facing due south and positioned directly above the Thur, the slope captures a great deal of sunshine. In places, the gradient reaches around 90 per cent. This makes any work between the rows difficult and renders manual labour a prerequisite for viticulture here.

At the same time, the southerly aspect by no means leads to premature ripening. Cool katabatic winds from the Vosges reach the slope via the Thur valley, and the altitude further delays the development of the grapes. Sunny exposure and steep gradients on the one hand, cool air and elevation on the other result in a late harvest. This allows the fruit to ripen without losing its acidity too early. It is precisely this interplay that explains why the wines can appear both concentrated and taut. The Rangen is therefore not merely an extreme steep slope, but a hillside whose climate extends the ripening period and lends structure to the fruit.

History: from “Rangwein” to the two Clos

The name Rangen may derive from an old German word for a very steep slope, though a derivation from “Ranke” (tendril) is also possible. Viticulture has been documented since the 13th century: the first transactions can be traced back to around 1272, in 1291 the Basel Dominicans purchased vineyard land on the Rangen, and in 1292 further ecclesiastical owners are mentioned, including Masevaux Abbey. When Michel de Montaigne travelled through Thann in 1580, he noted the vines.

The importance of the site is also reflected in early regulations. As early as the 16th century, the town of Thann stipulated which grape varieties could be planted there and banned inferior ones. Its fame would later outgrow its production: in 1877, Charles Gérard wrote that six times more “Rangwein” was drunk in Vienna than Thann actually produced. At the time, the commercial name evidently travelled further than the real volume of wine.

In the 20th century, proximity to the front line during the First World War and rural exodus took their toll on viticulture. By 1966, only around five hectares were still cultivated; a land consolidation reduced 131 parcels to 55. The revival began when Léonard Humbrecht purchased the first parcels of what would later become the Clos Saint-Urbain in 1977. From the mid-1980s onwards, Bernard Schoffit of Domaine Schoffit in Colmar also worked on the Rangen. The Humbrecht and Schoffit families restored economic and qualitative prospects to the diminished site.

In 1983, it was classified as a Grand Cru by the decree of 23 November; since October 2011, every Alsatian Grand Cru has constituted an appellation in its own right. Today, two clos stand at the heart of the Rangen: Clos Saint-Urbain is a 5.5-hectare monopole belonging to Domaine Zind-Humbrecht in Turckheim, named after the small Saint-Urbain chapel in the middle of the vineyard. Urban is the patron saint of winemakers. Clos Saint-Théobald is the monopole of Domaine Schoffit and bears the name of Theobald, also known as Thiébaut, the patron saint of the town of Thann. This should not be confused with the Clos de la Chapelle Saint-Urbain owned by the Schnebelen family in Thann.

Grape varieties and wine style

Pinot Gris

Accounting for around 57 per cent of the plantings, Pinot Gris is by far the dominant variety. On the Rangen it reveals smoky, spicy contours rather than fat ones; its density is framed by acidity and phenolic grip. Even when residual sugar is noticeable, structure remains essential so that the concentration does not feel cumbersome. In the Clos Saint-Urbain, Riesling and Pinot Gris each make up roughly half of the vines, alongside about 0.5 hectares of Gewurztraminer. The clos is farmed biodynamically and has been Demeter-certified since 2002.

Riesling

Riesling, which accounts for around 32 per cent of the plantings, combines citrus and apricot with smoke. Its acidity does not form a thin counterfoil to the ripeness but instead gives the concentrated fruit clear direction. The late harvest on the slope supports this balance: ripeness is achievable while the acidity is preserved. As a result, the wine can appear both broad and precise at once.

Gewurztraminer

Gewurztraminer is less strongly represented at around 10 per cent, while Muscat is only marginal at one per cent. The Gewurztraminer from the Rangen is more restrained in its rose aromatics, relying more heavily on spice and phenolic grip. Here too, fragrant opulence matters less than the way aroma, structure and any residual sweetness interact.

Ageing potential

Across all varieties, the wines are of great density and concentration, often with noticeable residual sugar. Smoke, flint, dark earth and salt can frame the fruit without obscuring it. The great Rangen wines need years to unfold and can last for decades. We currently have Pinot Gris from 2001 and 2008 available; the Rangen wines come exclusively from Domaine Zind-Humbrecht. Patience is therefore not merely pious cellaring advice but part of the style itself: over time, fruit, acidity and phenolic tension can knit together ever more closely.

Original, assertive wines: two Rieslings from Rangen

Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Rangen de Thann GC 2015: Unmistakably Rangen right from the nose: smoky, smoky minerality. Streams of ground black volcanic rock, threaded through with silken apricot strands. On the palate, everything: sweetness, acidity, fruit, salt and bitterness. Not bone-dry, as we have meanwhile come to expect from great German Rieslings. Instead, with that extra spark of hedonism. Alsace, after all.

This wine is almost too much for you. Not an easy sell, because you automatically pause, slow down, take it in. At the end of its journey across the palate, the individual components fuse into a beautiful, pulsating nuclear fusion with a high-density centre and vibrating edges. An infinite finish. A reverberation you fear desecrating with another sip – let alone, heaven forbid, with food. A wine that shook me awake and reminded me why wine defines my life, why I decided to make wine the guiding thread of my existence. How can this be? How can human hands create such a masterpiece of flowing aesthetics from fermented grape juice?

Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Rangen de Thann GC 2011 (no longer available from us): Self-contained, noticeably more baroque, fuller-bodied and somewhat sweeter too. Even more classic Alsace. This one calls out for food: give me a terrine, a piece of cheese. Grill me a pork chop with a piquant salsa. Or at least an oyster. Still very young. Forest honey, thyme, tamari on the palate. The smokiness of Rangen, now so familiar and beloved to us, and lemon parfait on the nose. Persistent and very, very beautiful, this one too.

Both are enrichments and great wines that you simply must taste. The 2015 ranks among the ten most beautiful wines of my life.

AOC rules: what “Alsace Grand Cru Rangen” prescribes

The Alsace Grand Cru Rangen appellation permits Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Muscat, each as a single varietal. Hand harvesting is mandatory, irrigation is forbidden, and a minimum of 4,500 vines per hectare ensures a binding planting density. For minimum natural alcohol, the rules distinguish between Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer at 12.5 per cent by volume, and Riesling and Muscat at 11 per cent by volume. These requirements thus aim for grapes capable of expressing both variety and vineyard site with sufficient ripeness.

Since 2022, the maximum yield has been set at 50 hectolitres per hectare. Actual yields remain well below this: in 2022 they were 30, in 2023 36, and in 2024 only 20 hectolitres per hectare. The limit therefore describes not a normal output but an outer framework; the steep, shallow slope sets tighter boundaries in real cultivation. Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles are also permitted, in each case without chaptalisation. Traditionally, the wine is bottled in the 75-centilitre Flûte d’Alsace.