Vat 1 Semillon, Hunter Valley 2017

The 2017 Vat 1 Semillon is only just starting to open up. It has notes of honeysuckle and creamed honey on cold toast, white pepper and scratched citrus. The palate is where this comes into its own. It is kaleidoscopic and rich. Glints of flavor like rays of sunshine penetrate the experience and give us a sense of what we can expect from this wine in the future. This is awesome. You could open your bottles starting now, no problem. But patience will always be rewarded by Semillon. 11.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. The tasting today consisted of a series of verticals across Vat 9, 4 Acres, 8 Acres, Johnno's and Old Patch Shirazes, the Stevens, HVD, Belford and Vat 1 Semillons, and the HVD and Vat 47 Chardonnays. It was exhaustive and impressive, and I must confess I loved every minute of it. The wines were impressive bar none, and having both Chris Tyrrell and Andrew Spinaze (winemaker since 1994) on hand to discuss the past and future of these wines was an honor. We spent so long on the wines that we gave up trying to go out into the vineyards, although this is something I am very keen to do next time I visit the region.

Score: 97

Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2024 - 2042 08 August 2024