Winemaker Notes
The entry level Semillon has the merest pinch of sugar—three to four grams — to round, soften and lift the grape’s shy aromatics from the start. The dry-farmed Blackberry Vineyard is the Silkman top-shelf Semillon, one of those great, sandy sites, which used to make it’s way into Tyrrell’s benchmark Vat 1 Semillon before the Silkmans scooped the contract (in amiable fashion).
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Hints of gunpowder and citrus mark the nose of this exciting young Sémillon. The 2015 Blackberry Vineyard Semillon is vibrant and medium-bodied, with a bit of plumpness to the mid-palate that's often lacking in Hunter Valley examples, despite weighing in at a sprightly 10.5% alcohol. Assertive lime and tangerine notes take over on the long, elegant finish. This is drinking so well now, I hesitate to suggest aging it will make it better, but that's generally what happens to Hunter Valley Sémillons. This will be interesting to follow over the next 10-12 years.
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Wine & Spirits
This is the third vintage from Shaun and Liz Silkman, a young couple who worked as winemakers in Hunter prior to starting their own label. It’s a classical Hunter semillon, with scents of lime blossoms and nori, almost spritzy in its acidity, relieving the creamy richness of the texture. Beginning to show complexity, this should be fascinating to follow over the next ten years.
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Wine Enthusiast
There's a cool, crisp quality to this wine, reminiscent of icy river water flowing over stones, with lemon zest, wool and a core of herbs and spices. The palate is austere, with the stoney minerality showing in both texture and flavor. The acidity is crisp but not searing, and the lemon fruit shows its face just for a moment. Drink now–2025
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.