Having tasted a couple of other current vintage Private Bin whites in previous weeks, I was interested to see how the flagship Vat 1 fared in 2007. The Belford and Stevens wines seemed broader and more approachable than usual.
Very pale with excellent clarity. The nose is an interesting mixture of high toned, almost powdery citrus fruit with waxed pears and more generous tropical notes. Good complexity. It's quite expressive and certainly attractive; whether it's especially "typical" is another question. The entry is gentle and builds, both structurally and in terms of intensity, towards the mid-palate. Here we have a forward mix of lemon/lime notes with hints of the tropical fruit shown on the nose. Acidity is certainly lively and it provides really good flow through the palate, but stops short of the sort of searingly intense structure seen in Hunter Semillons of a more classical bent. Flavour extends well into the after palate, and the wine's length is extremely impressive.
Rather than criticise this wine for what it isn't, I'll celebrate its pleasures: here we have an approachable, sophisticated young wine of good structure and length. As it sat in the glass, I could detect hints of the honeyed pleasure to come, but I'd say this is a medium term cellaring proposition at most -- nothing should stop you enjoying this wine now.
Tyrrell's
Price: $A35
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: February 2008
Very pale with excellent clarity. The nose is an interesting mixture of high toned, almost powdery citrus fruit with waxed pears and more generous tropical notes. Good complexity. It's quite expressive and certainly attractive; whether it's especially "typical" is another question. The entry is gentle and builds, both structurally and in terms of intensity, towards the mid-palate. Here we have a forward mix of lemon/lime notes with hints of the tropical fruit shown on the nose. Acidity is certainly lively and it provides really good flow through the palate, but stops short of the sort of searingly intense structure seen in Hunter Semillons of a more classical bent. Flavour extends well into the after palate, and the wine's length is extremely impressive.
Rather than criticise this wine for what it isn't, I'll celebrate its pleasures: here we have an approachable, sophisticated young wine of good structure and length. As it sat in the glass, I could detect hints of the honeyed pleasure to come, but I'd say this is a medium term cellaring proposition at most -- nothing should stop you enjoying this wine now.
Tyrrell's
Price: $A35
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: February 2008
That is an excellent approach both to wine and life in general I think.
GW
PS. HVD vineyard pretty much rooted for 2008 vintage but the others looking good.
Sage advice. I'm certainly not a bloodsport taster, as I usually find something enjoy in most wines. A wine like this, which is atypical but really excellent on its own terms, is challenging in the sense that it's not necessarily what one might want or expect from a young Hunter Semillon of this pedigree. It's still delicious, though.
Thanks for the heads up on the 2008 Semillons. Thank goodness (for the punter, anyway) they remain relatively affordable at the highest levels of quality.