2005 Boekenhoutskloof Sémillon

Community Tasting Notes (14) Avg Score: 88 points

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  11/17/2020 - forceberry wrote: 91 Points

  The grapes are sourced from three vineyards, planted in 1902, 1936 and 1942. No MLF. Fermented and aged for 13 months in new French oak barriques (92%) with a small addition of Sauvignon Blanc from 2006 (8%). 13,49% alcohol, 1,5 g/l residual sugar, 5,0 g/l acidity, 0,32 g/l VA and pH 3,42. Tasted in a Boekenhoutskloof Sémillon 2017-2005 vertical.
  
  Concentrated, deep golden yellow color. Sweet, evolved and complex nose with mature aromas of beeswax, sweet golden apples, some honeydew melon, a little bit of overripe apricot, light dried pineapple tones, a hint of creamy oak and a touch of hay. The wine is ripe, oily and somewhat viscous on the palate with a full body and savory, somewhat tertiary flavors of very ripe peaches and apricots, nutty oak, some spicy red apple, light creamy oak tones, a little bit of cantaloupe and poached pear, a hint of savory, woody oak spice and a touch of salinity, lending a somewhat brackish taste towards the aftertaste. The finish is very long, savory and quite evolved with somewhat umami-driven flavors of ripe peach and cantaloupe, some salinity, a little bit of toasty oak spice, light smoky tones, a little bit of mature nuttiness, a hint of exotic spices and a creamy touch of crema catalana.
  
  A tasty, stylish and complex vintage of Boekenhoutskloof Sémillon that feels noticeably more evolved than the previous few vintages. This wine feels like it is peaking now and most likely won't benefit from any further aging. Although the acidity here is high enough to lend good freshness and intensity to the wine, the overall feel is surprisingly heavy and weighty, lending a slightly ponderous feel to the wine. Overall the wine seems to lack the precision and energy I've grown to associate with the wine, coming across as a more heavier and monolithic new world wine than any of the preceding vintages. Nevertheless, this is a very fine and rewarding effort with tons of depth and complexity. It just doesn't manage to reach the highs of the best vintages. Priced according to its quality at 38,89€.

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  5/4/2018 - Peech Does not like this wine: 83 Points

  initially nice and caramelized nose, a little marzipan. But ultimately overripe, hot and alcoholic on the palate. Not enjoyable.

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  12/21/2017 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 89 Points

  Second wine tasted at Boekenhoutskloof Winery and second white wine with some age. This vintage is made up of over 92% Semillon and the rest Sauvignon Blanc. Aged for 14 months in new French oak. The fruit for this wine comes from one of the oldest vineyards planted in South Africa, 1902, as well as from some additional vineyards in the Franschhoek Valley planted in 1936 and 1942.
  
  Medium golden yellow in appearance. Definitely showing the age and oak influence on this 12 year old Semillon. Notes of paraffin, green peppers, hay and golden apples. Rounded palate with medium acidity (5.5/10) and medium bodied. Rich dark golden fruits on the palate with some straw. Medium to medium plus length finish. Drink till 2019.

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  8/7/2014 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 88 Points

  Quite a monster that integrates its oak well, but I'm not sure that does this any favours either. The nose is attractive, but the first thing you get is big spicy oak with a hint of vanilla. Lemon curd, orange blossom, acacia honey, beeswax, and yellow stone fruits follow. The front palate is rich and fruity, with peach, lemon, candied orange peel, but the mid palate quickly becomes minerally and astringent. This needed 30 min in the decanter to soften the bite. When fully open, the finish was a nice mix of lemon peel, bitter almond, melon, and minerality - that interesting bitter/sweet contrast along with good acidity. I'm not sure what this is trying to be. At times it felt like the weird cousin of a California Chardonnay in style and mouthfeel. The elegance and complexity of Semillon that the Hunter Valley shows so nicely was lost in the oak here. Many moments of great pleasure, but the whole thing didn't always hold the same tune. I do, however, think this has several years left to develop.

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  11/3/2011 - Dokken wrote: 86 Points

  Medium lemon with a past its best medium nose offering mostly fading primary fruit(lime and stone fruit), some oxidation and vanilla from evident oak. Much better in palate with pea,tropical fruit and vanilla. Needed more acid.Too old.

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