I still think Chardonnay is my favorite. Leeuwin always delivers along with Petaluma, Shaw and Smith and Matua from New Zealand. Catena Zapata delivers from Argentina.
You’re spot on with the comments about young Hunter Sem meant to age…it tastes like battery acid when young. Vat 1, which I think is fantastic, is incredibly hard to drink early on. And as you said, there aren’t many great examples because they’ve aged so slowly under screwcap. That said, there are some decent examples and Vat 1s are starting to come around (somewhat). Definitely not the same as a 98/99 Tyrrells Vat 1 under cork with 8-10 years where they were basically near perfect but they’re getting there. They drink fairly well right now but not nearly the same.
So you’re left with drinking made to drink young versions which are riper or have oak influence…or aging something which will take a ton of time to come around…
But they’re fantastic to drink with age…(I don’t think they’re horrible).
I also think with age you can see differences in the winemaking and the sites…just get some 90s Semillon and there is a distinct difference.
To me the biggest problem w/ Hunter Sem (which I think is by far the best example of straight sem anywhere and basically the only example wine that I think is unique and “the best” in the southern hemisphere compared to elsewhere), who is dedicated enough cellar space to age 15-35 dollar bottles of wine for 20 years to wait for them to come around? And that you don’t even want to touch with 10 years of age because they’re like lemony/grassy acid? In some ways I wonder if they need to switch to DIAM simply because they age so damn slowly under Screwcap…
Gareth I support your general proposition around Hunter Semillon. Having been bought up on Hunter wine I remember the revelation of my first Chardonnay ( Tyrrells ) and first Cabernet ( Wynn’s ) and then my first French wines of true quality. Hunter Semillon is a cult within a cult ! Occasionally by a calibrated chance combination of Vintage/Terroir/Winemaker/Cork there have been some possibly great examples but they are rare. Most are as you describe. I would never buy one now restricting Australian Semillon to some interesting blends from the Yarra ( Mt Mary Triolet ) or Margaret River ( Cullens etc ). Too little time left to waste on under-ripe acidic wines which may become interesting in 20 years.
Is the original proposition correct ? Not by any reasonable measure - New World Chardonnay from Oz, NZ and now also South Africa can be fabulous regularly and Oz Riesling is a revelation of style and quality. I would start the discussion with Chardonnay v Riesling !
Not understanding the consternation about Hunter semillon.
They need time to age. They also cost hardly anything…decent examples are cheaper than a low-quality negociant Bourgogne Blanc, and the top example is cheaper than a negociant Villages Bourgogne.
The slow ageing under screwcap…well this is more of a closure problem, it’s not the problem of the wine.
The only unique white with capacity to postitively evolve coming out of Australia, all the other stuff (while nice) is just trying to follow in the footsteps of Europe.
Interesting thread. Always up for finding new stuff and Semillon is a grape we like. Will try to remember the Hunter and try one for the science/hobby of it.
Have had few whites from the southern hem over the years. Loved Cloudy Bay from 2000/01-ish but the style changed by 2003/4 irrc. At least I thought so. The winery was sold some where around then?
As far as a very good white wine from in this case Australia, Margret River, is the Leeuwin Artist Series Chardonnay 2009. Not cheap at about $90 retail here but a nice splurge. Had it two times. First was blind and thought it was a young wine. They use screw cap to close it. Just blown away by how fresh and young the wine tasted for an eleven year old chard. Thought it was bottled 6 months ago. Wonder what it was like at release?
Have had really good wines with screw caps before but the Leeuwin has me reconsidering that enclosure. Points made about Hunter screw cap wines developing slowly seem reasonable given recent experience.
No matter how I look at them, I still can’t see how Malbec or Shiraz can be seen as white varieties. ![[tease.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/c/c5b32b76bebaa359b0452ae247b61189ffe5fa7e.gif "tease"){kind=small}
Agree with the HVS part.
However, it’s not the only unique white - how about Clare Valley Riesling? That’s another style of wine that doesn’t have a counterpart in Europe and is one that can age wonderfully for years and years.
Closure problem. Yes and no. Aussie Riesling ages fantastically well under screwcap…and at a more normal pace.
Australian Semillon, especially ones made to age (Vat 1 is the best example of this), just ages too slow. It may require some adjustments in the closure (more air?) or winemaking/picking.
Australian Semillon that is a bit riper and easier to drink earlier will age a bit quicker…and maybe that’s just the direction some Semillon will need to go…
No matter how I look at them, I still can’t see how Malbec or Shiraz can be seen as white varieties. >
Yes always helps to read all of the title!
It isn’t. It can be very good though.
In Australia there are wonderful Rieslings and Chardonnays if you know where to look.
I agree that in the context of what is generally a better wine…Australia does a better job of dry Riesling and Chardonnay…
But in the context of what does Australia do better than anyone else? I think they do the best straight Semillon anywhere…Does that really mean much? Probably not to most…