Still very youthful and drank it too early - this is the problem with the Hunter semillon, it needs so much time to mature. Having said this, this bottle was beginning to show some aged characters despite the pale yellow colour. Lemon, peach and a hint of tea were beginning to emerge all wrapped around a beautiful acid structure. Quite a saline finish. Wood was slightly out of place and needs more time to integrate.
Drink in 7+ years.
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{screwcap, 11%} Barely darker than mid-straw-yellow. Soft, developing nose of hay, brown grass. And gentle cedary-like (but misleading!) note reminiscent of oak. The palate still has a gentle line of spritzy acid carrying it along, but it's nicely balanced and not harsh or crude. The flavours are gentle and aging, lemon-citrus-tinged, and if anything a little fresher than the nose promised. It's not much heavier than light-bodied, but coats the tongue evenly, and the medium/long finish is fairly beguiling even if it lacks the last touch of magic. Excellent Hunter semillon drinking beautifully now and over another 5 years at least.
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High intensity. Smoky. White pepper, white flowers. Citrus. Grapefruit. Waxy texture. White peach. Very high acidity, vibrant, delicate. Long finish (white flowers, nectarine, citrus, hint of smoke and beeswax).
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Light yellow colour - very youthful looking for 11 years. Thank the screwcap for that - other 2003 semillons I've had under cork have looked no where near as fresh.
Lemons, toast with honey and butter, lanolin, hay. Pretty good but perhaps just lacks a bit of length and depth? Very good with goats cheese.
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A private dinner (Alyn Williams at The Westbury *, London, UK): Fabulous toasty Semillon nose, wonderful combination of depth and freshness, minerals, lanolin and citrus, open and very come-hither; on the palate fresh and engaging, lively, dry; very good length, hint of fresh walnuts. Stylish, classic, precise, delicious.
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Mid yellow with a lovely deep toasty nose. Still showing a few youthful citrus aromas but the toast dominates. Rich and quite full with lovely depth on the palate, almost creamy with a seam of lime acidity balancing the weight of flavour. Excellent depth of flavour and fullness, all at 10.5% alcohol.
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{screwcap, 11%} Mid straw yellow. Initially shy nose of grass and a little honey, with time a smoky woodspice note overtakes the honey. The palate is always lightweight, clean and quite acidic to start; almost spritzy. It's more lemon-like on the palate, but still with a grass/hay nod. As it sits the texture becomes more chalky without really adding weight. Bone-dry, and in someways still quite lean; I'm not sure that it'll ever develop into a truly great semillon; this almost always seems linked to the vineyard in the Hunter, and I always suspect that Brokenwood simply don't have access to enough of the best fruit. Still, this is a fairly impressive wine in any case; it ought to evolve for at least another five years or so, and hold on for an age after that. It does fade a little on the back-palate, but otherwise the finish is a solid medium length.
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A beautiful Hunter Semillon. Extremely well balanced, had moved on from the lemon and citrus thing and started to show toast, nuts and a hint of wood while maintaining the classic HV acid and fruit characteristics. A sensational bottle of wine.
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WSET Level 3; 4/7/2010-7/21/2010 (London): WSET Systematic Approach - Group Appearance: clear, medium (-), lemon, watery rim, petillance, legs. Nose: clean, pronounced, developing, almonds, toast, lemongrass. Palate: dry, medium (+) acidity, medium (-) - medium alcohol (11.5%), medium body, medium (+) flavour intensity, toast, citrus, medium (+) length. Conclusions: very good - outstanding, ready to drink, but can develop further. Quoted Price: £24.00
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6/30/2021 - tanduybui Likes this wine: 89 Points
Still very youthful and drank it too early - this is the problem with the Hunter semillon, it needs so much time to mature. Having said this, this bottle was beginning to show some aged characters despite the pale yellow colour. Lemon, peach and a hint of tea were beginning to emerge all wrapped around a beautiful acid structure. Quite a saline finish. Wood was slightly out of place and needs more time to integrate.
Drink in 7+ years.
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1/9/2017 - graemeg wrote:
{screwcap, 11%} Barely darker than mid-straw-yellow. Soft, developing nose of hay, brown grass. And gentle cedary-like (but misleading!) note reminiscent of oak. The palate still has a gentle line of spritzy acid carrying it along, but it's nicely balanced and not harsh or crude. The flavours are gentle and aging, lemon-citrus-tinged, and if anything a little fresher than the nose promised. It's not much heavier than light-bodied, but coats the tongue evenly, and the medium/long finish is fairly beguiling even if it lacks the last touch of magic. Excellent Hunter semillon drinking beautifully now and over another 5 years at least.
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8/23/2014 - bernardo wrote: 92 Points
High intensity. Smoky. White pepper, white flowers. Citrus. Grapefruit. Waxy texture. White peach. Very high acidity, vibrant, delicate. Long finish (white flowers, nectarine, citrus, hint of smoke and beeswax).
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7/7/2014 - azzah Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light yellow colour - very youthful looking for 11 years. Thank the screwcap for that - other 2003 semillons I've had under cork have looked no where near as fresh.
Lemons, toast with honey and butter, lanolin, hay. Pretty good but perhaps just lacks a bit of length and depth? Very good with goats cheese.
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11/10/2012 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
A private dinner (Alyn Williams at The Westbury *, London, UK): Fabulous toasty Semillon nose, wonderful combination of depth and freshness, minerals, lanolin and citrus, open and very come-hither; on the palate fresh and engaging, lively, dry; very good length, hint of fresh walnuts. Stylish, classic, precise, delicious.
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2/18/2012 - Biggsy wrote: 90 Points
Mid yellow with a lovely deep toasty nose. Still showing a few youthful citrus aromas but the toast dominates. Rich and quite full with lovely depth on the palate, almost creamy with a seam of lime acidity balancing the weight of flavour. Excellent depth of flavour and fullness, all at 10.5% alcohol.
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2/10/2012 - graemeg wrote:
{screwcap, 11%} Mid straw yellow. Initially shy nose of grass and a little honey, with time a smoky woodspice note overtakes the honey. The palate is always lightweight, clean and quite acidic to start; almost spritzy. It's more lemon-like on the palate, but still with a grass/hay nod. As it sits the texture becomes more chalky without really adding weight. Bone-dry, and in someways still quite lean; I'm not sure that it'll ever develop into a truly great semillon; this almost always seems linked to the vineyard in the Hunter, and I always suspect that Brokenwood simply don't have access to enough of the best fruit. Still, this is a fairly impressive wine in any case; it ought to evolve for at least another five years or so, and hold on for an age after that. It does fade a little on the back-palate, but otherwise the finish is a solid medium length.
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2/5/2011 - JustinMcDonald wrote:
A beautiful Hunter Semillon. Extremely well balanced, had moved on from the lemon and citrus thing and started to show toast, nuts and a hint of wood while maintaining the classic HV acid and fruit characteristics. A sensational bottle of wine.
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10/14/2010 - aagrawal wrote: 90 Points
Wine & Spirits Top 100 Tasting- Brief Notes (San Francisco Design Center): Nicely balanced. Full bodied, oaky/woody.
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6/30/2010 - G_Talbot Likes this wine: 92 Points
WSET Level 3; 4/7/2010-7/21/2010 (London): WSET Systematic Approach - Group
Appearance: clear, medium (-), lemon, watery rim, petillance, legs.
Nose: clean, pronounced, developing, almonds, toast, lemongrass.
Palate: dry, medium (+) acidity, medium (-) - medium alcohol (11.5%), medium body, medium (+) flavour intensity, toast, citrus, medium (+) length.
Conclusions: very good - outstanding, ready to drink, but can develop further.
Quoted Price: £24.00
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