Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Kabinett – 14 - 2008 – C. von Schubert – Alc.8%. The first bottle which I opened soon after purchase at the estate was wonderfully crisp and exuberant. Although it had lost some of that, it was highly enjoyable for its combination of medium/light body, minerals, saline structure, crisp acidity and gentle sweetness and I think that it had acquired some complexity and had lost a slight tartness compared with a bottle a year ago. Next to the Wagnerian Zind-Humbrecht bottles which follow, this wine showed a nimbleness, elegance and sense of fun worthy of the estate owner’s musical namesake; 16/20+++.
Alsace Riesling Gueberschwihr 2000 – Domaine Zind-Humbrecht – Alc. 12.5% -
Its acidity was rather fierce when I tasted it in its youth but a bottle about three years ago was very good -
C: Yellow/ straw yellow
N: Aromas of white flowers, citrus fruit and minerals with an attractive hydrocarbon edge underpinned by a touch of candy.
P: The nose could have presaged a sweet wine but it turned out to be quite dry with medium body, good depth, complexity similar to the nose and lively acidity with only a hint of its former fierceness on the long firm finish; 16/20+++.
Here the extra years had not been beneficial. Colour was now quite dark yellow and, although I could detect no obvious aromas of oxidation, there was now a slight muddy dog hint on the nose and less liveliness of acidity. Still a complex and interesting drink but seeming somewhat clumsy and disjointed after the Abtsberg; 15.5/20.
Alsace Riesling Herrenweg de Turckheim 2000 – Domaine Zind-Humbrecht – Alc.13%. This wine was distinctly sweet with no warning on the label (the followed year Humbrecht introduced his sweetness “indice” numbers and I would rate this Indice 3 – demi-sec – or even 4). Colour was even darker than that of the Gueberswihr and the nose was quite flamboyant with notes of white rose, candy and faint hydrocarbon. The palate was full/medium bodied and rich with darkish complex fruit, quite low smooth acidity and a candied touch on the quite long finish. Mercifully lobster in a rich sauce could handle the richness of this wine and it had a sort of baroque splendour which may please a lot of people but is not really my thing; 16/20.