Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A handy array of lime, lemon and grapefruit citrus, really pure and expressive, the palate has a direct, juicy and flavor some feel to it, stone fruits chime in here too, drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Scents of crushed stone and lime zest emerge on the nose of the 2016 Semillon. It's light-bodied yet plump, with an appealing silky texture and bright lemon/lime and under-ripe pineapple flavors that linger on the slightly pithy finish. For a young Semillon, it's remarkably appealing.
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.