Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesBefore I explain what this tastes like, it is important to note that between the 2017 and the 2006, there is very little color difference in the glass. Here, you get green glints, pale straw lemon, and it's packed (and I mean PACKED) with flavor. So, this 2013 Vat 1 Semillon is closed on the nose, reduced to preserved lemon rind, brine, quinine and crushed shells. Quiet things. In the mouth, this Zen mood continues; it unfurls in a languid fashion, slowly spooling white tea, apple skins, juniper, creamed honey and beeswax. If this wine had a sound, it would be the cast of a baited, weighted fishing line, right before it *plonks* into the water. Rating: 96+
Fresh, crisp citrus and pear flavors are moving into more savory, rich and mature accents of honey, saline and beeswax. Perfectly balanced and powerful on the finish. Drink now through 2030.
Most admired for citrus-driven, mineral-rich and often age-worthy Semillon wines, Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions and was home to its very first commercial vineyards. The region’s warm summer nights coupled with autumn cloud cover and cool sea breezes allow full ripening and healthy acidity levels for Semillon; its diverse soils of volcanic basalt and white alluvial sands promote the development of Semillon’s delicate aromas. Hunter Valley Semillons can certainly be enjoyed in their youth but with 10 to 20 years in the cellar, the best examples develop intriguing notes of honey, browned butter and roasted nuts.
Chardonnay and Shiraz also do well in Hunter Valley.
Sémillon has the power to create wines with considerable structure, depth and length that will improve for several decades. It is the perfect partner to the vivdly aromatic Sauvignon Blanc. Sémillon especially shines in the Bordeaux region of Sauternes, which produces some of the world’s greatest sweet wines. Somm Secret—Sémillon was so common in South Africa in the 1820s, covering 93% of the country’s vineyard area, it was simply referred to as Wyndruif, or “wine grape.”