Category Archives: Semillon

SB/SSB

New Release

Reviewed:15 November 2011

A variety of styles, from the super textural SRS to the cheap and cheery Vat 2.

Reviewed

Flametree – Sauvignon Blanc – SRS – 2011 (17.5+). Creamy vanillin oak. Beautifully crafted wine. This has lovely texture combined with obvious, though refined and silky oak. Really creamy palate with refined lemony acid to close. Give it a year or two to fill out. An alternative to quality chardonnay.

Fire Gully – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – 2010 (17). More complex. This is quite rich and mouth-filling with good texture and length. There are some savoury/nutty flavours that help the palate build.

Voyager Estate – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – 2011 (17). Wow, this is a flavour packed wine with acidity to burn. Serve chilled to enjoy the grassy/tropical fruit.

West Cape Howe – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – 2011 (17). Textbook Western Australian SSB. Grassy, vibrant, juicy and very long. There is a surprising degree of complexity on the palate.

Flametree – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – Embers – 2011 (16.8). This is an interesting wine. Pure fruit that is taut and precise. Very long, this has lovely mouth-feel. Fruit driven, this will provide excellent drinking over the next year or so.

Flametree – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – 2011 (16.6). Nice fruit with grassy/gooseberry notes. Refreshing acidity and good length make for an easy drinking summer white.

De Bortoli – Sauvignon Blanc – Deen – Vat 2 – 2011 (16.5). Tropical and grassy notes. Mouth-watering acidity followed by a degree of phenolics and viscosity. The finish is quite long. Serve chilled on a warm afternoon.

Lovedale and OP & OH

The Wine And Food Society of Western Australia

Reviewed: 10 October 2011

Hunter semillon is very Sydney. People (and wine critics/judges) in NSW love the stuff. Outside of the state though, the reception is a little mixed. I think the reason for this is the lack of exposure. With the plethora of white wines coming from regions like Margaret River, Adelaide Hills and Marlborough, Hunter semillon gets a little lost in the crowd.

It was with this in mind that I arranged this tasting. I wanted to get to know a little more about the style and what better way to do it than with a vertical tasting of Lovedale. This is an iconic wine with a show record that every other white wine in the country would aspire to.

The grape resources available to McWilliams are fantastic. Whilst the Lovedale is their top white and the Maurice O’Shea their top red, they also produce the OP & OH shiraz. This is a truly amazing Old Vines shiraz at a bargain price.

The Old Paddock (OP) vineyard dates back to the 1920’s and the Old Hill (OH) vineyard the 1880’s. That’s right, 90 and 120 year old vines! This counts for nothing if the wine is not made well though. The vertical tasting of OP & OH showed a gradual evolution in style. The latest wines are modern, though with hints of their Hunter origin showing through.

I would like to thank Greg West from McWilliams for kindly arranging the wines for this tasting.

As the tasting was not blind, my points are a guide only.

Reviewed

Mount Pleasant – Semillon – Lovedale – 1998 (18.5). Lanolin, lovely lemon curd and a developed richness. The palate is taut with plenty of lemony acid. Amazing length driven by fine acidity. A refined and elegant wine that, while aged, has a degree of freshness.

Mount Pleasant – Semillon – Lovedale – 1999 (18). Actually darker than the 98. Richer and more complex on the nose. The palate is fantastic, with honey and lemon. Falls away a touch before building to a very long finish. Balanced. Classic Hunter semillon with a lovely mouth-feel.

Mount Pleasant – Semillon – Lovedale – 2001 (18.1). More zest to the citrus nose here. Oily, but again with purity of fruit. The length is again a standout. This is still a baby and will probably open up with another year or two in bottle.

Mount Pleasant – Semillon – Lovedale – 2003 (18.3). Again, richer with more body than the last. Incredibly intense, yet beautifully balanced. Develops some toasty/caramel notes on the finish. The acid here is actually softer than in some of the earlier wines, but super fruit carries the finish.

Mount Pleasant – Semillon – Lovedale – 2005 (18.5). Wow, this is spectacular, with so much going on. Lemon zest, lime, vanilla and lemon all vie for attention. The palate is juicy, textured and very long. An amazing wine of real structure and poise. A star and perhaps more powerful than the rest.

Mount Pleasant – Semillon – Lovedale – 2011 (18.5). Restrained and taut. Lemon zest and lime juice to the fore. This is reserved, but totally seamless. Has amazing presence in the mouth for what is a fairly neutral wine at the moment. The acidity and length define this wine.

Mount Pleasant – Shiraz – OH & OH – 1996 (17.5). Wow, lovely nose. Developed, rich fruit. Think plum, mulberry, leather and spice. Very complex and intriguing. The palate is drying out a touch with dried herbs and spice and there is plummy fruit to close, with a touch of dark chocolate. Smelly but lovely. An old fashioned wine and the finish is not as long as some here.

Mount Pleasant – Shiraz – OH & OH – 2002 (18.2). Much fresher, with cherry and plum fruit notes. Wow, the fruit on the palate is fantastic. Cherry, but with tar and almost floral flavours. Very long and dense, this is just a baby. Fruit, dark cherries and chocolate carry the finish. A satisfying wine that has some earthy notes starting to show.

Mount Pleasant – Shiraz – OH & OH – 2005 (17.8). Closed. This is super fine and refined. Plum, mulberry, raspberry, cherry and tar all on display. Acidity freshens the finish and there is leathery fruit to close.

Mount Pleasant – Shiraz – OH & OH – 2006 (18). Fresh fruit here, but quite closed. Super long and refined, it is easy to dismiss this wine as it lacks the weight of the earlier wines. That would be a shame, as the length and persistence are spot on. Builds intensity in the mouth, with white pepper to close. A more feminine wine.

Mount Pleasant – Shiraz – OH & OH – 2007 (18 – 18.5). Amazing colour, nose and palate. This has it all. Super fruit and winemaking. The length of flavour is superb. The finish fans out and evolves. An evolution in style.

Mount Pleasant Shiraz OP & OH – 2009 (18 – 18.5). Almost purple in colour. A very tight/closed nose, but the palate is spectacular. Sweet, high quality fruit, and skilled winemaking combine to make superb wine. Very youthful and closed, this will be excellent. Delicate and perfumed, yet there is incredible intensity and complexity. Superb wine!

Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon

Reviewed 14 August 2011

I continue to be surprised at just how tight and fresh Western Australian SSB/SBS/SB can be. Several wines in this tasting would really benefit from 6 – 12 months in the bottle to really settle down and they will drink well for a few years after that.

Not that many years ago, I would have suggested drinking the youngest wines available, but now I will go as far as to say that we should look out for the 2010 vintage wines, as they are more approachable right now.

The other surprising point from this tasting was the overall quality of the wines reviewed. I would happily drink any of the wines listed below.

Reviewed

Warner Glen Estate – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – Margaret River – 2009 (17.7). This is more interesting. Smoke, flint and match strike. A complex palate that has real depth of flavours. Obviously barrel fermented, this is a serious wine that needs some time to settle down. A quality wine that would make a good alternative to chardonnay.

Shepard’s Hut – Sauvignon Blanc – 2011 (17.6). Nice wine this. Well judged tropical fruit that is ripe, clear and restrained. The palate is textured, long and fine. This is quite complex, with lees and perhaps a small portion of barrel fermented fruit. Excellent length and a touch of sherbet on a balanced finish.

Fraser Gallop – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – Parterre 2010 (17.5+). Very vibrant and forward. Tremendous acidity over quality fruit. Delicate, pretty, complex, depth and length of flavours with a touch of viscosity and phenolics. Wild yeast, new oak in part. This will be even better with a year in bottle.

Mad Fish – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – Sideways – 2011 (17.5). A lovely, seductive nose. Complex, enticing and round. Yes, there are some tropical and grassy fruit notes, but there are also complex aromas and flavours, courtesy of the cleverly handled winemaking. I wonder if this has had a small component of fruit that has had some barrel ferment and lees contact. Lovely texture and mouth-feel. Creamy finish with length.

Warner Glen Estate – Sauvignon Blanc – Frog Belly – 2010 (17.5). Softer nose with gentle fruit that has grassy notes and a touch of musk. Soft, round and generous palate with just enough acidity to balance the palate. Surprising length and lovely texture. A good drink, and should be good value.

Suckfizzle – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – 2007 (17-18). Amazing nose! Pungent and very complex. Yes, there are typical SB notes with grassy, herbaceous fruit characters, but there is so much more. Barrel ferment, oak aged, lees stirring, this has it all. The palate retains remarkable freshness despite all the worked characters. A powerful wine, but not for the faint hearted. This wine polarised the panel, as the style pushes the boundaries (I was a supporter).

Lenton Brae – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – 2011 (17+). Round, soft and textural. A youthful style that is very delicate and refined. This will blossom in time and score higher points too.

Talisman – Sauvignon Blanc – 2011 (17). Punchy nose. Vibrant and lifted fruit that has hints of musk and sherbet with lime acidity to close. Good length and intensity. Well made, with floral fruit, this needs a couple of months for the ferment characters to completely settle. Worth a try.

d’Arenberg – Sauvignon Blanc – The Stump Jump – 2010 (16.7). Interesting nose suggesting that this has quality fruit notes. Grassy and herbaceous, but with a tropical lift to close. Smart wine of some appeal that should be very good value.

Chardonnay & Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc

Reviewed 18 June 2011

The chardonnay bracket was one of the strongest that the panel can remember. The semillon and SB wines were also pretty smart. All in all, one of the more memorable tastings with a higher than usual success rate.

Highlights for me were the Mt Horricks semillon and many of the chardonnays. If I had to pick one, it would be the Brookland Valley. Perhaps this is not quite as great as the Leeuwin, Heytsebury and Xanadu, but it is a sheer joy to drink now and over the next five years.

Reviewed

Chardonnay

Leeuwin Estate – Chardonnay – Art Series – 2008 (18/18.7). Remarkably similar to a Sauzet Puligny Montrachet that I was lucky enough to drink last weekend. Very restrained and tight, though the acid is exhilarating. Hints of stonefruit to what is a smart wine. Lots of minerals and textural components to close, including some very fine oak tannins. After one day, this started to get some flesh on the mid palate. After two, it showed a treat. As with all Leeuwin Estate chardonnays, this will age well. Indeed, this wine demands to be cellared for at least 5 – 10 years to even approach its peak.

Vasse Felix – Chardonnay – Heytsebury – 2009. (18 – 18.5). Mineral, slate and a touch of match strike. Curry leaf, vanillin oak and creamy texture on the palate. A wine that has had all the treatment (barrel Ferment, lees stirring, oak aging, malo-lactic fermentation). Powerful and complex, this is a wine with great length. The powerful fruit makes this a great drink now or over the next 5 years.

Brookland Valley – Chardonnay – 2009 (18.3). A touch more nervous energy in this wine. Superb quality fruit and excellent wine-making have combined to make a wine of finesse and elegance. The fruit has intensity and power, but this is held in check by the tight knit oak and pineapple acidity. A seamless palate with tremendous length. This received extra marks for being an excellent drink!

Xanadu – Chardonnay – Reserve – 2010 (18+). Closest in style to the Leeuwin Estate. Curry leaf, flint and mineral notes on the nose with pineapple undertones. The palate is lovely, with intense fruit, seamless oak and a silky palate. The balance here is the key. There is an undercurrent of stonefruit on a wine that is complex and well worked. Needs 5 years to show its best.

Clairault – Chardonnay – Estate – 2010 (18). A superb nose that is complex, yet full of life. Creamy, peachy fruit, with just a hint of curry leaf that signals quality. Lemony oak dominates the fruit on the palate, but this is a very tight and fresh wine. Look for grapefruit and pineapple with citrus acid to close. Give it a few years to watch it blossom as this became quite expressive as it opened.

Clairault – Chardonnay – 2010 (17.5). Restrained and dumb at present. A good wine, with no rough edges, just lacks the excitement of the Estate. Good length and quality fruit. Light, fresh and elegant, with granny smith texture on a very long palate. A well made wine that is tight and lean in a contemporary style.

Forester – Chardonnay – 2010 (17.7). Closed and tight, yet there is no questioning the quality of this wine. Lemony fruit with hints of sherbet and tropical fruit. The oak is subtle and adds finesse to the close. Good drinking without being over the top, this wine held its own in a big bracket!

S/SB

Mount Horricks – Semillon – 2010 (17.7). Creamy and quite delicious. Honey, vanilla and lemony fruit, with a hint of crème caramel. On the palate, this is a powerful wine that has been given royal treatment (barrel Ferment, lees stirring, oak aging). Creamy and textured, with lovely lemony fruit that runs to the end of the palate.

Carpe Diem – Sauvignon Blanc – Schiaffo – 2010 (17). A very interesting wine that is not your typical Margaret River SB. More golden in colour, this has lanolin and vanillin oak notes to open. Lemony and tight, the palate is near seamless. Slight char to the oak is apparent on the finish. A quality wine that needs a year or two to settle down. Try instead of chardonnay.

Stella Bella – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – 2010 (17). Quite pungent fruit on the nose reflecting the cooler southern end of the Margaret River region. Lychee, passionfruit, lantana and tropical notes on the nose. Plenty of acid on the palate with good length and intensity. Smart.

Willow Bridge – Sauvignon Blanc – Fume – 2010 (17+). As the name suggests, made in a different style to most Australian SBs. This has seen 8 months in oak. Complex nose and palate that has creamy lees characters and a touch of toast from the oak. Has a passing resemblance to White Bordeaux. An interesting wine that is worth trying.

Drakesbrook – Sauvignon Blanc – 2010 (16.8). A touch more creamy than some, which is suggestive of some lees contact. (None mentioned on the label). The palate is bright, grassy and zesty, with good mouth-feel and length. An approachable wine that is good current drinking.

Leeuwin Estate – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – Siblings – 2010 (16.8). A fairly mainstream example of this blend. Starts of quite closed, but develops grassy/tropical notes with air. Lemon brullee on the palate. Very tight and a touch austere right now, this is a wine that could do with a year in bottle to settle down. Not overly complex, but nice zesty lemon fruit, good length and refreshing acidity.

Sauternes – 2007

Reviewed – 29 May 2011

The Wines

I approached this tasting with great anticipation. 2007 is another great Sauternes vintage since 2000. When I found an excellent cross-section of wines in Dan Murphy, I thought this would make a great tasting for the Wine and Food Society of Western Australia.

My good friend John Jens points out that perspective is all important in life. To add perspective and make the tasting more interesting, I included a few cheaper wines and a bottle of Chateau d’Yquem. The results were surprising to say the least.

The cheaper wines showed really well with the De Bortoli a highlight for some, with strong support also for the Chateau du Pavillon and the Monbazillac. Surprisingly, the d’Yquem received little support, especially given the price.

For me though, the picks were the Guiruad, Doise Daene and Rabaud-Promis, while the Lamothe Guignard was the best value. All the wines tasted like Sauternes, although there was a fascinating difference in how this was expressed.

A word on the value of Sauternes. These wines are surely, the greatest wine bargains on the planet. Grand Cru Burgundy sells for $100’s of dollars a bottle and 1st Growth Bordeaux is selling for upwards of $1000 per bottle. These are, without question, some of the greatest sweet wines in the world. That they are currently available for between $30 and $70 per bottle (375ml) makes them irresistible.

Reviewed

Chateau Guiruad – Sauternes – 1er Grand Cru – 2007 (18.5+). Lovely nose that, whilst tight and closed, suggests real potential. Lovely mouth-feel, with some caramel notes over the sweet fruit characters. Beautifully balanced wine that has great length. The power of this wine became evident as it sat in the glass.

Chateau Doisy Daene – Barsac – Cru Classe – 2007 (18.5). Closed and concentrated. Wow, marmalade, apricot nectar, pineapple and orange marmalade. Viscous but the sweetness is perfectly balanced by the excellent acidity. Lovely mouth-feel and balance. Great length with a lovely minerality to close. With air the delicate floral fruit really expressed and the power and balance became apparent. Seamless.

Chateau Rabaud – Promis – Sauternes – 1er Grand Cru – 2007 (18.5). Lovely perfume here, with musk and honey over fresher fruit notes. Wow, the palate is sublime. There is lovely fruit that is pretty and delicate. Perhaps not as much botrytis here, giving the wine great elegance. Builds orange marmalade in the mouth. The finish is intense, powerful and long, yet retains elegance and finesse. Will evolve over several years.

Chateau Coutet – Barsac – 1er Cru – 2007 (18++). Initially, a straightforward nose of apricot. Apricot and orange marmalade on the palate to what was, again, a fairly straightforward palate. Good length, and enough acidity to prevent the finish from being cloying. This really evolved in the glass, developing great concentration and length of flavours. Really needs 10 – 20 years to show its best.

Chateau Lamothe Guignard – Sauternes – 2e Grand Cru – 2007 (18). Quite complex, with fennel, pear skin, minerals and citrus over the botrytis fruit. Viscous palate that has a good flavour profile. The finish is just a touch fatter yet the acidity balances the sweetness nicely. A very good wine that is only a little behind the best here. Opens and evolves to display lovely orange zest and fresh acidity to keep the finish clean. (Great value here – $31).

Chateau Lafaurie – Peyraguey – Sauternes – 1er Grand Cru – 2007 (17.5). Slightly darker colour. Again, reserved. The palate is more linear, with orange peel over almond and apricot jam. Not particularly sweet, but with good acidity.

Deen De Bortoli – Botrytis – Semillon – Vat 5 – 2007. (17+). Luscious and rich. Apricot flavours and aromas, with some apricot kernel and almond meal to follow. Not particularly concentrated, but good length and enough acidity to keep the finish fresh. This actually developed nicely in the glass. An absolute bargain at $11.

Pavillon De La Brie – Monbazillac – 2008 (16.9). Subtle aromas. The palate is sweet and fresh with pineapple, apricot and orange peel that is candied. Good length and balance. Again, not that complex, but quite a convincing effort and a bargain to boot. ($10 from Dan Murphy).

Chateau du Pavillon – Sainte Croix du Mont – 2004 (16.7). Clean and fresh. Stonefruit aromas with some complexity in the form of minerals and nuts. Good attack in the mouth, with good balance. Still very youthful.

Chateau d’Yquem – Sauternes 1998 (N.R.). Marmalade and toffee. Tremendous concentration and power. There are all the hallmarks of great sauternes. Apricot, orange marmalade and almond meal dominate the palate. The length is a stand-out and the acidity balances the intense fruit perfectly. The complexity really shone the next day, but the almond notes overwhelm the stonefruit. Not particularly sweet, but an interesting wine.

Chateau de Malle – Sauternes – Grand Cru – 2007 (NR). Unfortunately not quite right. Blame the cork.

Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc

New Release

29 July 2010

I am the first to admit that a line up of fresh young white wines is a challenge for the panel. The acidity can be very tiring. However, the diversity of styles here made this tasting easier to cope with.

The highlight for me was the oak aged wines. This is a developing style in the Margaret River region and the wines are loosely based on the white wines of Bordeaux. Some or all of the wine is fermented in oak barrels and a portion will then be matured for a period in oak.

These are often complex and powerful wines. They come with a warning though – they are different. Typically powerful and complex, these wines bear no resemblance to the classic style that drinkers have become used to.

Suckfizzle takes this style to the extreme and has been released with a few years bottle age. The Parterre from Fraser Gallop is more accessible and an excellent example. Both are excellent wines, but they will polarize.

Finally, the Amelia Park is my recommendation in the more traditional fruit driven style. This is great drinking.

Recommended

Fraser Gallop – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – Parterre – 2009 (18). More grass and hay characters here. Complex, worked style with a touch of barrel ferment characters. This is a serious wine, but is more approachable than the Suckfizzle. An excellent wine and while it will not appeal to everyone, this is a great example of the style. Don’t be afraid to age this for a few years.

Suckfizzle – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – 2007 (17.8). Wow, now this is good. Complex nose with lifted citrus, almond meal and grassy notes overlaying complex barrel ferment, oak and lees aromas. The palate is powerful with more of the worked characters. This displays minerality, texture and oak handling reminiscent of fine chardonnay. Powerful and serious, this is not a wine to quaff on a sunny afternoon. One for the aficionado.

Amelia Park – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – 2010 (17.3). A modern, perfumed style. Fresh, balanced and attractive, this is a lovely drink. Not as complicated as the oaked wines, this has lovely passionfruit and tropical flavours and balanced acidity. Not the most striking, but perhaps the best drinking. A wine that will appeal to everyone.

Willow Bridge – Sauvignon Blanc – Wild Ferment 2009 (17). Musk, gooseberry and tropical fruit. Floral fruit on a lifted palate. This is quite viscous and textured. Serious fruit on a long and satisfying finish.

Fraser Gallop – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – 2010 (16.9). Lifted aromatic fruit in the tropical/passionfruit spectrum. Fresh and vibrant, there is a talc like minerality under long and quite complex fruit. Good.

Amelia Park – Classic Blend – Mishmash – 2010 (16.7). Musk, sherbet and gooseberry on the nose. The palate is fresh and quite tight. There is excellent length and good texture, in a modern style. Good fruit notes on the finish linger.

Long Flat – Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc – 2008 (16.5). More restrained and steely. Lavender and spice on the palate are attractive, but the finish is firm and dry. Good Value.

Windrush – Rose – 2009 (16.5). Savoury, earthy fruit. Quite complex with good length. One panellist found Rhubarb compote, and berry fruit.

Angove – Rose – Nine Vines – 2010 (16). Savoury and quite smart. Soft fruit and a touch of sugar make for good drinking.

New Release Whites

21 January 2010

The change to screw cap closures on wines has been something that I have publicly embraced as a great compromise for wine lovers. Being free of all of the imperfections of cork is what it is all about. Whilst the screw cap is inert and reliable, it is not fool-proof. One important difference that I have noted is that wines stay fresher for longer. This impacts on both wines that you buy to age and wines that are best drunk young.

With wines designed for early consumption, like most of the wines in this tasting, the increased freshness has had another consequence that we need to bear in mind. By being slower to develop, they appear to take a little longer in bottle to show there best.

Years ago, I would not dream of keeping a sauvignon blanc for more than a year, but with many of the wines in this tasting, they were actually a little closed and tight. Several looked even better the next day with a bit of airing. I am not suggesting that you start ageing these styles, but it may be worth giving them a bit of air if you find that they do not meet your expectations. Some of the lightly oaked styles can easily take 2-3 years in the cellar.

So to the wines. Once again, the 2009 Clairault sauvignon blanc showed well. This is a lovely drink. Forester also seem to be kicking some goals with their sauvignon. I continue to be impressed with the wines from Deviation Road from the Adelaide hills. I must try and visit them at some stage this year.

This was meant to be a Semillon Sauvignon Blanc tasting, but unfortunately a few pinot gris/grigio wine got mixed up.

Tasted

Deviation Road – Pinot Gris – 2009 (17.5+). Clean and fresh smelling. There is sherbet, musk, pineapple and a touch of cinnamon. Evolves on the palate and has excellent mouth feel and texture. Persistent and balanced. Good acidity to close. (I had a glass with salmon the next night and it was excellent.)

Clairault – Sauvignon Blanc – 2009 (17.5). Following on from the excellent 2008, this is another cracker! More overt and obvious than some, there is pristine fruit on the nose in the tropical spectrum with pulpy passionfruit. The palate is really quite tight at the moment but the fruit really builds in the mouth. Will develop over the next 6 months. There might be a touch of residual sugar, but it is all the better for it.

Forester – Sauvignon Blanc – 2009 (17.5). Some zesty fruit on this. Ripe, concentrated passionfruit and tropical fruit with pineapple acid. Some winemaker inputs. Textured palate with good mouth feel. Lemony acid to close. Quite a big wine.

Flametree – Sauvignon Blanc Semillon – 2009 (17). Pungent sauvignon characters with lantana and a touch of vanilla. Crème brulle on the creamy palate. Very good fruit and wine making. Fine close.

Hamlin Bay – Semillon Sauvignon Blanc – 2009 (17). Lifted, grassy fruit with some passionfruit and musk. The palate is long, fresh and surprisingly viscous. Passionfruit to close. The finish is closed but well balanced.

Wine By Brad – Semillon Sauvignon Blanc – 2009 (16.8). Focused and precise nose. Quite fragrant, complex and balanced,with fresh acidity to keep the finish alive. Good summer drinking

Millbrook – Semillon Sauvignon Blanc – Barking Owl – 2009 (16.6). Creamy nose, with some interesting fruit. Sweet fruit but without great excitement. Good current drinking.

Deviation Road – Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (16.5+). A different style to the WA and NZ wines. Starts off zesty and tight. The palate is powerful, long, focused but closed. Will do better with 6 months in the bottle.

Forester – Semillon Sauvignon Blanc – 2009 (16.5+). This is closed and tight. This is quite a serious wine with good viscosity/mouth-feel and some worked wine making inputs. Will be better in a few months.

Howard Park – Sauvignon Blanc – 2009 (16.5+). Sweet and ripe fruit on the nose, this is lacking some definition at present. A crowd pleasing style that builds intensity. Will be better in a few months.

Preveli – Semillon Sauvignon Blanc – 2009 (16.5). More of the grassy characters here. Some musk and sherbet too. The palate is racy, but the acid is a little firm now.

Sidewood Estate – Sauvignon Blanc – 2008 (16.4). A complex and funky wine with caramel on the close. Unusual.

 

Sauvignon Blanc – New Release

Reviewed 24 January 2013

I was interested to read in the Financial Review that their wine reviewer Tim White had not formally tasted any sauvignon blanc in 2012. This must be very disheartening for the many hundreds of wineries who have sent samples in to be tasted.

I am pleased to say that I have reviewed numerous sauvignon blanc based wines in the last 12 months. Admittedly, like in this tasting, not many make it through to print, but those that do are thoroughly worthy of attention.

At the bargain end of the spectrum, the Houghton and Yalumba offer a lot of wine for the price, while the Killerby and Stella Bella demonstrate just how good the lightly oaked style can be. These are quite serious wines that are better suited to sipping over a meal than glugging on a warm afternoon.

Reviewed

Killerby – Sauvignon Blanc – 2012 (17.3). There are gentle barrel ferment and lees aromas to start, followed by match-strike and flinty fruit that has a lovely grassy edge with lemony highlights. The palate is complex, with the worked characters balanced by good quality oak. This is a nicely judged wine where the winemaker’s inputs are apparent, but do not dominate the fruit. Spicy, this should continue to evolve with a couple of years in bottle.

Stella Bella – Sauvignon Blanc – 2012 (17.2). Cooler fruit on display showing herbaceous aromas with lantana and passionfruit. The palate is fresh, displaying racy acidity matched to gentle tropical fruits. The length is excellent and the mouth-feel spot-on. A satisfying and complete wine that would suit seafood perfectly.

Forester Estate – Sauvignon Blanc – 2012 (17+). Clean, fresh and racy, with just a touch of barrel ferment/lees work to add depth to the palate. Textured, the lemony fruit is the main feature here and there is excellent acidity and length to close. Lightly oaked and all the better for it.

Houghton – White Classic – 2012 (16.8). Muted nose with cut grass and a touch of floral aromas. The palate is vibrant and lively. There is a touch of viscosity, good depth to the fruit and the touch of residual sugar balances the fresh acidity well. Excellent summer drinking.

Yalumba – Sauvignon Blanc – Y Series – 2012 (16.7). Aromatic nose, with grassy aromas and a herbal lift. Follows through on a palate that is a little broader and has a touch of phenolic astringency that, when combined with the acid, makes this a refreshing drink. Nicely put together.

Lindeman’s – Sauvignon Blanc – Bin 95 – 2012 (16). A clean and fresh nose that has grassy fruit over tropical hints. Straightforward, and well made, this is a good commercial wine.

New Release – White

Reviewed: 13 October 2012

This tasting presented the opportunity to work our way through a number of interesting wines. From the ever reliable Shaw and Smith SB to the brilliant value Houghton White Classic.

Reviewed

Cherubino – Sauvignon Blanc – Pemberton – 2012 (17.8+). There is no mistaking the high quality oak which is creamy and very fine grained. The palate is viscous and the fruit intensity and quality are excellent. The oak and winemaker’s inputs suppress the delicate fruit now, so some time in the cellar will help this wine to fill out. There is Chardonnay like texture with lovely citrus acidity to close. A complex wine with lovely texture, length and aftertaste. Just give it a few years to fully express itself.

Shaw and Smith – Sauvignon Blanc – 2012 (17.5). Grassy nose to open, with sweet tropical fruit highlights. Lovely fruit on the palate with gooseberry, fresh passionfruit and a hint of pineapple. Very long, the high acid is refreshing and taut. The creamy finish suggests a touch of lees, oak and/or barrel ferment. Another fine wine under this label.

Cherubino – Sauvignon Blanc – The Yard – Channybearup Vineyard – 2012 (17.2). Lovely fresh fruit here over subtle worked characters and a hint of nuttiness. The palate is lively, taut, textural and long. Not overt, but the gentle fruit is very satisfying. There are hints of musk and sherbet to close that add interest.

Houghton – Chenin Blanc Blend – White Classic – 2012 (17). Clean and fresh with hints of pear and talc. The palate has lemony fruit that is vibrant and fresh. Good length, though the finish is quite taut and restrained. Easy to drink now, this is also likely to age superbly over the next 5 years. Bargain!

Willow Bridge – SBS – Dragonfly – 2012 (16.9). There is lemony fruit at the core of this wine. In the mouth, the fruit is persistent and long, with well judged balance. A great wine to drink on a sunny spring afternoon.

Millbrook – SBS – Barking Owl – 2012 (16.8). Smart wine. The palate is tight and long, though a touch linear now. With good mouth-feel, the balance is a highlight. This is a quality wine that could do with a year or so in the bottle to open up. There is a lovely finish with the acidity/sweetness balance perfectly judged. From Margaret River.

O’Leary Walker – Sauvignon Blanc – 2012 (16.7). More straight-forward and bright fruit that is in the tropical spectrum. Not overly dense, but an enjoyable wine with life.

Mount Riley – Sauvignon Blanc – 2012 (16.5). Pungent aromas of lantana, gooseberry, asparagus and pineapple. More of the same on a palate that is clean, fresh and uncomplicated. Good length to close. If you like you NZ SBs, then this is worth a try.

Sauvignon Blanc and Blends

Reviewed: 18 September 2011

With summer on the horizon, here are a few fresh young whites that are worth a look.

Reviewed

Cape Mentelle – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – 2011 (17.5). More complex and “serious”. By this I mean that the wine has seen some extra winemaking inputs. There is probably a degree of barrel ferment and some extended lees contact. A savoury wine that is more about texture than ripe fruit. The fruit will become more expansive with time in the bottle.

Shaw and Smith – Sauvignon Blanc – 2011 (17.4). More restrained nose with some cut grass notes. Lovely balance and mouth-feel. There is a degree of texture and viscosity to the palate with a long and focused finish. Quite complex, this is good drinking.

Deep Woods – Sauvignon Blanc – 2011 (17.2). Ripe pear and sherbet on a somewhat lean and tight wine. Follows through on the palate with racy acidity and vibrant fruit. Zesty characters on the finish adds interest. The best current drinking in this bracket.

Kim Crawford – Sauvignon Blanc – 2010 (17). More of the NZ characters here, with some classic, though subdued, cat’s pee notes and grapefruit. Quite a complex wine that has a touch of viscosity and depth to the fruit. Good length. Only if you like the style…

West Cape Howe – Sauvignon Blanc – 2011 (17). Reserved. Light, fresh and floral nose. Quite a neutral palate that retains fresh acidity. Will carry food well.

Barking Owl – Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – 2011 (16.8). Quite a complex wine, both on the nose and the palate. Long, with more of the viscosity that we have seen on other wines here. Good acidity and length. A crowd pleaser that is cleverly made. Should be good value.

Millbrook – Sauvignon Blanc – 2011 (16.7). Pungent, with lantana, herbaceous notes and a touch of passionfruit. Also has some musk/candied aromas. Forward, ripe and full of flavour. Not that subtle, but has plenty of appeal.