Wine Opinion | Semillon winemakers who keep the torch burning for unfashionable classic
Bruce Tyrrell's description of Hunter Valley semillon as "our gift to the world" may sound too close to "God's gift to the world" for some, but for Tyrrell it's simply an honest statement of what it means to carry the torch for a classic style of wine that's deliciously unique, yet doesn't quite resonate with consumers.
Tyrrell's is one of the few companies that have made Hunter Valley semillon such an intrinsic part of their brand that their version has traction in an unwelcoming market. The risk they face is a more insidious change from within: young winemakers trying to put their stamp on this clean, unadorned style with (gasp) oak or by (shudder) stirring the lees (that is, dead yeast cells) to make the wine feel plusher. Tyrrell grittily guards against change.
Happily he's not alone. A handful of other properties have succeeded with semillon, mostly with subtle tweaks. Mount Pleasant makes one of my favourite examples from the locally renowned Lovedale Vineyard, at once lean and waxy like an elegant white taper. Brokenwood are making a more approachable version with limes, lemon grass and iodine even in youth that may just help hook a few new consumers.
The classic Hunter style is too austere for most drinkers. We're used to the punchy fruit of sauvignon blanc, the buttered toast of chardonnay or the pleasant blandness of pinot grigio. Young Hunter Valley semillon tastes aggressively of nothing. It is sharp, thin (only about 11 per cent alcohol) and, frankly, unpleasant. Knowing this, most producers make the huge capital investment of holding bottles three to four years before release.
This is fortunate, because only later does the wine show itself. Like a house packed in a briefcase it slowly unfolds until what was a tiny wine becomes almost overwhelming. It is smoke and lemons then grass and seashells then beeswax, burned toast and funkier, less obviously attractive things such as wet wool and a struck match. Many will be put off, the rest become addicted.
