The powerful, virile 2001 Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos St.-Urbain (indice 2) explodes from the glass with smoky mineral scents. A wide, dense, concentrated, brooding wine, it is medium-bodied, as well as crammed with pears and minerals. Satin-textured and intense, this exceptional effort is a candidate for drinking between 2004 and 2020. In response to requests from consumers for more information as to the character of his non-Vendange Tardive or Selection de Grains Nobles wines. Olivier Humbrecht has devoloped an "indice" scale which appears on the label of each bottle. This indice ranks from 1 to 5 the perceptible sweetness of the wines, and Humbrecht describes it as follows: "1 is totally dry; 2 is not technically dry but the sweetness is not apparent on the palate; 3 is medium sweetness that may gradually disappear with aging; 4 is sweet wine; 5 is for high sweetness, a Vendange Tardive in richness but without botrytis." Humbrecht is to be commended for instituting this system as it will immensely aid consumers.Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524