Château La Croix Cantenac - Saint-Émilion grand cru - 1993 – Benoit Richard – Alc.12.5%. Two bottles of this were a gift from non wine-drinking friends. The obscure estate coupled with an "off" vintage were not promising but the first bottle two or three years ago was surprisingly good, if somewhat evolved, with light/medium body, gentle old claret sweetness of fruit with cherry and fine tea notes, resolved tannins but enough acidity and grip for interest. This latest bottle, however, was well over the top; the gently sweet fruit was still there round the rim of the palate but mid-palate had become pasty and the acidity and grip had mostly gone; the wine became a little cloying; 14.5/20.
Château Lagrange Saint-Julien - 3ème grand cru classé - 1989 – Alc.13%. The cork was beginning to weep but the level was still acceptable. Colour was deep and quite vigorous with chocolate tints visible when pouring. The nose was quite discreet but had attractive notes of black currant, dark bramble and forest floor. Body was full/medium, the fruit quite rich but dark with a younger and more “modern” sort of sweetness than with the previous wine infused with similar aromas to the nose and there was still quite firm but ripe tannic structure towards the finish. I missed, however, the fresh and leafy nuances which for me are part of the essence of left-bank claret which may be due to an acidity deficit. Quite a good wine but a touch disappointing from a “top” vintage; barely 16/20.
Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett – 3-03 – 2002 – C. von Schubert’schen Schlosskellerei – Alc. 7.5% - was our wine of the week. It was light/medium bodied and beautifully focussed in a linear stream where white fruit, spice, minerals, gentle sweetness and juicily mouth-watering acidity were all perfectly integrated; ideally I would have liked a little more steeliness and backbone but these were not, I think, characteristic of 2002. A lovely wine from a supposedly down period at this estate; 16.5/20+++.