TN: BonnyDoon Thanks Semillon '16...(short/boring)

My shipment from the BoonyDoon fire sale arrived ystrday, so I cracked last night:

  1. BonnyDoon Thanks Semillon YountMillVnyd/NapaVlly (11%; www.BonnyDoonVineyard.com) SantaCruz 2016: Med.yellow color; fairly strong Semillon/waxy/figgy/slight spicy light pencilly/oak rather quiet pleasant enough nose; fairly tart/tangy/grapefruity light waxy/figgy/Semillon light pencilly bit light/vapid flavor; med.short lightly tart/grapefruity light Semillon/figgy/waxy light pencilly finish; a varietally correct Semillon but pretty lightweight bordering on vapid on the palate; may develop into something interesting but I have my doubts; disappointing. $9.60

A wee BloodyPulpit:

  1. To fill out my case, I bought 6 of these on the recent BonnyDoon fire sale. “How can you go wrong w/ a Semillon”?? Well…now I know. If this came from the TJ’s shelf at that price, it would be a decent deal. But I was, being from BonnyDoon, expecting a whole lot more…maybe a Jr. HunterVlly Semillon? Ohhhh, well…they were cheap and the balance will go into Susan’s white wine-drinking stash.
    Tom

Well damn…pretty bummed to read that considering I also have some on the way.

Too bad, as it seemed like a slam-dunk deal!

Thanks for the heads up Tom - consider my expectations significantly lowered.

Hmm, I also grabbed several to fill out a case. Maybe I’ll roll the dice and hold 'em for several years to see if it puts on weight as Randall claims they will.

Perhaps a case of “you get what you pay for”? Having a Cali semillon taste like Hunter Valley would be a stretch. The only one I’ve had that has that lightish gravitas would be Forlorn Hope’s Nacre from 2010, and I believe it was closer to $30.

That was my takeaway as well - the Semillon was thin and uninspiring.

Well, Markus…I’ve had a few that reminded of HunterVlly Semillon. Particularly some of the Karin’s. The Nacre is another one.
Tom

I would argue that we don’t have the right conditions in California to recreate Hunter Valley Semillon. And I say that as someone who absolutely loves what Matthew is doing with Nacre, which can be fairly reminiscent of the Hunter. Kalin is such a singular wine that I struggle to find an apt comparison for it.

I also don’t think we should be trying to mimic the Hunter Valley. Their Semillon is unlike anything else, while we have the conditions here in California to craft our own unique expressions. It’s what I try to do with my Semillon (and all of my wines, really), which I hope I’ve achieved in some way.

I picked up a bottle of this in a mixed case during the Bonny Doon sale, and just opened it tonight. Featherlight on the palate, almost vanishingly so in the mid. Having said that, I rather enjoyed it with zucchini-feta fritters, but wouldn’t buy it at full price.

Tried one this weekend, and I really liked it (or at least more than others on this thread). The low abv (11% or so) definitely makes for an unusual mouthfeel - you expect it to be heavier on the palate, especially a lower acid grape like Semillon. But after it had been open for a couple of hours, and pairing it with a seared scallop risotto, I thought it worked.

I agree that this would be disappointing at full price, and I wouldn’t back up the truck in any event. But I’ll hold my remaining bottles for a few years, and then check in on them every so often to see how they progress.

Thanks, Greg. I tried another btl this weekend and liked it somewhat better.
It has its place at table.
Tom