Tasting Report: Great 2013 Hunter Valley Semillon, Poor 2012 Hunter Valley Semillon

Some semillon from Hunter knows how to win all the awards!

Wines made from semillon are among Australia's best, and Hunter Valley continues to be ground zero for the grape variety.

I wonder whether it's my love of high-tension Rieslings from the Mosel that turns me on to great semillons; the best from Hunter are vibrant, zesty and very well-made indeed. They also age incredibly well.

I was in Hunter only last month for a quick tasting of some of the best, recently released semillons as well as the ones still in wineries' cellars. Most of the wines I tasted were from the 2013 vintage, which appears to be a great year with a beautiful balance of ripe fruit and bright acidity. I also tasted many bottles from 2012, but it's a year to be avoided as poor weather affected the growing season and harvest.

"The 2013 vintage was a ripe year but without too much sugar," says Andrew Thomas of Thomas Wines. "There is a likeable juiciness that makes them ready to drink now, but they can also age. In other words, you can hedge your bet!"

My biggest regret is that the best Hunter Valley semillons are hard to find outside of Australia. (I guess the Aussies know they have something really great and don't want to share it!) I do occasionally see bottles of Tyrrell's Wines' and Brokenwood Wines' semillons in Los Angeles, but it's hard to find any of them in Hong Kong and the rest of Asia or the States.

2013 Semillon Tasting

Regardless, search out the best Hunter Valley semillons, and don't be afraid to buy aged bottles. "What makes Hunter semillon unique is you have the acidity and great fruit," says Stuart Hordern, winemaker of Brokenwood Wines. "Semillon evolves with time."

That's for sure. In addition to the 2012s and 2013s, I tasted a number of Hunter Valley semillons during the trip from the 1990s and 1960s, and they were still beautiful. In fact, they reminded me of top dry white Bordeaux with 20 or 30 years of bottle age once the wines take on that intense lemon curd and cooked apple character in its dense and layered texture. I'll publish them later, though I'm including a few 2009s and 2007s I also tasted.

Perhaps the best thing about semillon from the Hunter is that they sell for a fraction of the cost of top dry white Bordeaux! Most of the best sell for about US$25 to US$35 a bottle.