Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of sliced apples, pears and honey. Some flint here too. It's full-bodied with light apple pie, minerals and citrus. Flavorful finish too. A long time favorite for me and this is the real deal at entry level price so don't miss it. Drink now. Screw cap.
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Wine & Spirits
Rich and smooth, this is all texture for now, a whipped vanilla custard with the tangy bite of fresh farmer’s cheese. Scents of cinnamon and toast come up, the flavors needing bottle age to fully develop. Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA
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.