There is almost a magic to the timeless semillons of Hunter Valley in Australia. I remember once opening up a Tyrrell's '98 for the first time and expecting it to show hints of oxidation like most whites with over a decade of bottle age. I was blown away by how vibrantly young and taut it was-- the acidity was racing and all the parts were still there-- it could have easily gone a third and fourth decade longer, and I would have blinded it as a much younger wine. And now, hundreds of bottles of semillon later, I am still amazed at the wound-up energy packed inside of aged semillon from this part of Australia.
Take this 2007 Brokenwood Oakey Creek semillon. Six years old and it hasn't even shown signs of settling down. Though the acidity is like licking a fresh cut lemon, there is loads of complexity swimming beneath the surface. I wish this could have aged thirty more years.
Brokenwood is a historic producer to me, because, long before Australia was famous for this grape, winemaker Iain Riggs made sure the facilities were set up for white wine production and with his early vintages he helped put Hunter Valley semillon on the map (along with Tyrrell's, who has been making semillon since the early 1970s).
White wines like these, with such massive aging capabilities, are hard to come by; but I am stocking up on some sleepers for a future era!
Brokenwood is a historic producer to me, because, long before Australia was famous for this grape, winemaker Iain Riggs made sure the facilities were set up for white wine production and with his early vintages he helped put Hunter Valley semillon on the map (along with Tyrrell's, who has been making semillon since the early 1970s).
White wines like these, with such massive aging capabilities, are hard to come by; but I am stocking up on some sleepers for a future era!
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