Winemaker Notes
"The 2007 Semillon exhibits a bouquet of citrus, melon, and lemon sherbet. Crisp, intensely flavored, and long, it can be enjoyed over the next several years." 89 Points
Wine Advocate
August 2008
"Pale yellow. Strikingly complex nose displays fresh grapefruit, floral honey, apple andpear aromas. Brisk citrus flavors give way to deeper orchard fruits and melon with air, picking up a waxy quality and dusty minerals on the back. This is already quite complex: I'd enjoy it now for its lively fruit even though I'm sure that it will age well for another five years or so." 90 Points
International Wine Cellar
July/August 2008
"Water-white; an ultra-crisp and fresh web of mineral, grass and spice, rather like a toneddownChablis." 90 Points
James Halliday
Professional Ratings
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.”
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.