Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Australian Wine Companion
At 6 years of age, the wine is beginning to bloom, displaying attractive ripe lemon, citrus curd and honeysuckle aromas. These characters are in the riper spectrum for this wine. The palate is on the generous side, but it still has the clarity and style one expects from Vat 1. There is no hiding the fact that '18 was a hot year. Consequently, this will be an earlier-drinking Vat 1, but no less enjoyable. That is the thing about iconic wines; the season may change, but their inherent qualities remain constant.
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Wine Enthusiast
A classic wine from a historic producer, this vintage offers a lovely, delicate perfume of honeyed citrus and waxy florals. There's an equally waxy texture to the mid-weight palate; a honeyed richness creeping in to mellow out the acidity (not as racy as other vintages). It's a lovely combo, an expression of place, time and variety that's showing nice bottle age.
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Wine Spectator
This white's mouthwatering, savory mix starts with bright lemon sherbet, candied citrus peel and straw flavors, with notes of lemongrass, Himalayan sea salt and litsea oil, all on a supple, rich frame. Crisp acidity keeps the flavors in focus.
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.