Blind Spot Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Margaret River, Australia (£7.75 The Wine Society)
They’ve done this really well. Some Margaret River SSBs can be too angular, but this sees the slightly catty/citrussy Sauvignon character in with a richer, muskier guava note. Great for this price, and no sign that it’s going to fade in the near future. B+
Tyrrell’s Lost Block Semillon 2013, Hunter Valley, Australia (£12.49 Winedirect.co.uk, Hailsham Cellars, Cotswold Vintners, Polygon Wines, Grape and Grain, Thorncliffe Farm Shop, Roberts and Speight, Helmsley Wines, French Wine People, R Campbell and Sons)
Really quite forward for Hunter Sem, does have the fresh and bracing citrus and herb edge, but already there’s the note of honey that will only get stronger with time. B+
A curious feel about these next two. The wines are great, but they’ve been subject to ‘repositioning’. In other words, they’ve put the price up. Not that these prices are unmerited, just that Tesco has been selling the (excellent) 2005 for £8.99, and it’s recently been discounted to £5.99 – I certainly stocked up at that price (and you may still find the odd bottle in stores). But both of these are still gems and worth the price tag.
Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2013, Hunter Valley, Australia (£14-£15 Slurp.co.uk, Harper Wells)
Already showing the classic lime juice, and toast character, along with a little of the honeyed edge that will only become more pronounced with time. Tasty now, but still with its best years ahead of it. S
Mount Pleasant Cellar Aged Elizabeth Semillon 2007, Hunter Valley, Australia (£15-£18 Slurp.co.uk, Wine Library, Hedonism, Berry Bros & Rudd)
Still young and vigorous, with zesty lemon and lime fruit and floral notes, but the honeyed toasty notes are coming more to the fore. And it still feels like its best is still to come: would happily cellar this for another five years. S
Interesting that a screwcapped wine should deliver after seven years. Was it a Stelvin Lux cap Simon?
Interesting as in you think it should still be young? Screwcaps seem to age wine slower than corks, working my way through a case of the 2005 that I mentioned in this post and all the bottles so far have been wonderfully fresh. Remember in mid-1990s Yalumba pulling out some Riesling from 1978/9 that was in great nick – think it was the reception for these wines that prompted them to release Contours, which is basically the Pewsey Vale with 5 extra years of bottle age.
That’s interesting, thanks Simon.