Notes of the Hunter

Notes of the Hunter

How many wines can genuinely stake a claim to being alternatives to both Sancerre and aged white Burgundy? Sarah Ahmed tours Australia to get to grips with the many faces of the country’s magnificent Semillons

Australians may pronounce Semillon differently to the Bordelais (Sem-a-lon not Sem-e-yon), but why not? After all, according to Jancis Robinson MW, Hunter Valley Semillon is ‘Australia’s great gift to the wine world’.

In contrast to Bordeaux where, blended with Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon is most famous for sweet Sauternes, the Hunter Valley’s wines are 100% Semillon and, picked early (10-11 potential alcohol or 8-9 degrees in lean years), they’re dry to the point of austerity.

Bone dryness is not the only point of departure from Australian stereotypes. Uniquely, Hunter Valley Semillon is also low in alcohol and unoaked, yet with enough intensity and structure to age – food-friendly characteristics which make it a useful wine on any list.

A journey worth taking

While these idiosyncratic qualities have endeared Semillon to the trade and connoisseurs, Hunter young gun Andrew Thomas of Thomas Wines admits the style has yet to engage the average consumer.

Hakkasan’s group wine buyer Christine Parkinson thinks she knows why: ‘It’s not fruity, nor is it soft like Pinot Grigio. It takes some experience to enjoy Hunter Valley Semillon... it’s a destination not a starting point.’ The wines, in other words, are a hand sell.

And yet, Hunter Valley Semillon is undoubtedly a worthwhile destination. As the Hakkasan case study (on p.53) demonstrates, there’s a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow. Parkinson even likens McWilliams Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 1998 to grand cru Burgundy without the price tag or premature oxidation problem.

With age, Hunter Valley Semillon develops wonderful complexity and mouthfeel. Acidity that can seem shrill in its youth softens to a hum which, as Parkinson observes, ‘works in the background to carry flavours and maintain balance’.

What’s more, according to Thomas, subtle tweaks to the classic Hunter style are resulting in wines that are ‘more of an each way bet’ (ie approachable and age-worthy) because ‘winemakers are building more texture in Semillon’.

Take Thomas’ flagship Braemore Semillon, which is picked in three stages. The first pick of high acidity grapes comprises ‘the spine,’ the second pick of perfectly ripe grapes makes up ‘the heart’ while the third – ‘the tail’ – introduces riper, more generous fruit, with slightly lower acidity.
In the winery, time on gross lees also adds complexity and texture.

Styling it up

Keith Tulloch uses other techniques such as fermenting up to 10% of his eponymous Semillon for several days in French barriques ‘for silky texture’. Meanwhile, at Tyrrell’s, Johnno’s Hand Pressed Semillon is the latest addition to an already impressive Semillon portfolio. Basket-pressed then fermented at a slightly warmer temperature on partial solids (slightly cloudy juice), it’s deliberately made in a softer, more textured style which, like the McWilliams Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 1998, proved a hit across the range of Hakkasan dishes including those with mild, savoury, sweet and spicy flavours (see box opposite).

South & West

While the Hunter Valley is the spiritual home of Australian Semillon, leading examples are also made in South Australia and Western Australia (both dry), and the Riverina (sweet). Because these regions enjoy longer, drier growing seasons, Semillon is picked later and riper, which translates into more accessible, fruit-forward, fuller-bodied wines.

In South Australia, with the notable exception of the much-lauded museum release Peter Lehmann Margaret Semillon (a ringer for Hunter Semillon), top wines are often oaked which makes for a more familiar style with broader appeal.

Western Australia has its own spin on Semillon too, which is invariably blended with Sauvignon Blanc. For Parkinson, Margaret River’s Semillon/Sauvignon blends are ‘a good entry point to Semillon for the novice wine drinker, since Sauvignon brings roundness, softness, fruit and recognisable aromatics’.

All in all, Australian Semillon has more than one string to its bow. Whether dry or sweet, bone dry or fruity, unoaked or oaked, blended or on its own, youthful or aged, there’s something for everyone, not to mention a wine style for each course.

DOWN THE DECADES

The longest-lived of all New World whites, Aussie Semillon can match Burgundy for ageability

Hunter Valley Semillon is renowned for its firm acid backbone. It obtains flavour and ripeness relatively early on and is therefore harvested sooner, causing it to retain a high proportion of tartaric acid.

During the first couple of years in bottle, it is high in acidity with a very clean citrus profile. Under cork, wines used to ‘dumb down’ and were closed until about five years of age. But with the advent of the screwcap, the same wines are remaining fresh and primary.

Cellar-aged releases (for example Tyrrell’s Vat 1, Brokenwood ILR and McWilliams Mount Pleasant Lovedale) are typically released after about five years. At this stage, Hunter Semillon is more expressive on the nose and palate, showing sweet talc and waxy, ripe citrus notes around a tight backbone of acidity.

After a decade, the acidity starts to soften, becoming stonier, and wines show more texture and breadth, developing classic honey, lemon and lime and buttered toast notes. Top notch wines will age for 30 to 50 years, during which time they develop lanolin, beeswax and nutty characteristics.

Recent great Hunter vintages include: 2010, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2002, 1999, 1998, 1996 and 1994.

PERFECT PAIRING

When it comes to food matching, young Semillon’s clean citrus profile dictates simplicity and nothing beats freshly shucked oysters. In the Hunter, Sydney Rock oysters are doused or served with a glass of young Semillon, while in Margaret River, Albany oysters are the order of the day with Semillon/Sauvignon blends.

Both regions host annual seafood and Semillon festivals which explore the affinity between Australia’s abundant natural resource of freshly caught fish and shellfish with a range of Semillon styles (see menu opposite).

Many back labels also tout Semillon as a great match with ‘Asian food’ – an altogether different proposition. We asked Christine Parkinson at Michelin-starred restaurant Hakkasan to put a selection of top-producers’ fare to the test with a challenging array of modern Chinese dishes.

Given that Chinese dishes are a complex blend of textures and flavours (mild, savoury, sweet and spicy) and courses are typically shared, Parkinson believes that ‘to go on the list at Hakkasan, a wine has to drink at least pleasantly across all styles of dish’.

For the case study (see menu below), two wines in particular met this brief – McWilliams Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 1998 and Tyrrell’s Johnno’s Hand Pressed Semillon 2009.

The key to the pair’s versatility lay in the fact that both had savoury nuances and good mouthfeel, thanks to softer, well-integrated acidity which helped carry flavours, maintain balance and refresh the palate. For Parkinson, whose list features three aged Semillons (Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon 1998 and 2002, plus Willespie Semillon 2001), ‘age [as opposed to regionality] had the most impact, as it gives a transition from citrus to savoury character on the palate’.

While mature wines can be versatile, and Hunter Semillon’s low alcohol content is an advantage with Asian dishes (because high alcohol emphasises heat), Parkinson reckons ‘it’s a big mistake to put “Asian food” as a match on any back label’. Instead she believes ‘producers need to think about key styles, such as dim sum, tempura, Thai curry, grilled/teriyaki etc, and suggest those’.

HUNTER VALLEY SEMILLON & SEAFOOD MENU

Creator: Matt Dillow, The Verandah Restaurant, Calais Estate, New South Wales, Australia

Wine recommendations: Bruce Tyrrell, Tyrrell’s and Phil Ryan of McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant

Oysters with a squeeze of lemon

McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 2005

the citrus notes of the Semillon complement the lemon, and the wine’s fine minerality brings out the saltiness of the oysters.

Blue swimmer crab, peach and almond salad with raspberry vinaigrette

Tyrrell’s Johnno’s Hand Pressed Semillon 2009

has breadth of flavour to work with the peach and raspberry but is soft enough in acidity not to compete with the vinaigrette.

Citrus and dill cured salmon gravlax with kipfler potato and fennel salad

McWilliam’s Elizabeth Semillon 2005 - softer and more developed than the Lovedale with a nuttier spectrum of flavours to match the weight of this dish.

Grilled swordfish topped with king prawn on skordalia with sweet red pepper dressing

Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon 1999 -has the developed flavours and soft acidity to work with this main course, yet enough acidity to handle the sauce.

HAKKASAN MENU

Creator: Tong Chee Hwee, Hakkasan, Hanway Place, London, UK

Wine recommendations: Christine Parkinson group wine buyer and Diana Rollan, deputy head sommelier

Dim sum scallop shumai

Fraser Gallop Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2009 – vibrant and fruity, it emphasises the sweetness of the scallop.

McWilliams Mount Pleasant Lovedale 1998 and Tyrrell’s Johnno’s Hand Pressed 2009 – buttery and complex, they allow the full flavour of the food to come through.

Grilled Shanghai dumpling

Tyrrell’s Johnno’s Hand Pressed Semillon 2009 – brings out the savoury, grilled, notes of the dumpling.

Steamed Dover sole in garlic oyster sauce

Brokenwood Semillon 2000 – takes on a pleasing sherried note allowing the fish flavour to come through.

Jasmine tea smoked chicken

McWilliams Mount Pleasant Lovedale 1998 and Brokenwood 2000 – perfectly emphasises the savoury nature of the dish.

Tofu, aubergine and Japanese mushroom claypot

Cullen Mangan Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2009 – grapefruit/citrus and toasty notes add an extra layer of refreshing flavour.

Braised organic pork belly in plum sauce with kumquat and lily bulb

Tyrrell’s Johnno’s Hand Pressed Semillon 2009 – has enough weight and fruit sweetness to handle the kumquats.

Spicy prawns with lily bulb and almond

Mount Horrocks Semillon 2009 – riper, sweeter fruit counteracts the chilli heat, and the oak is harmonious.

Orange blossom panna cotta with pineapple and shiso sorbet, slow cooked pineapple, saké jelly

De Bortoli Noble One 2007 – aromatic, honeyed and balanced. A great marriage with the floral and citrus character of the complex dessert.

SEMILLON BY REGION

Hunter Valley, New South Wales

Semillon has been grown in the Hunter Valley for over 150 years. The Lower Hunter Valley has a rich heritage of old, low-yielding Semillon vines, the best of which are planted on deep alluvial, sandy soils so poor it’s said even rabbits pack a lunch box. The warm, humid climate and threat of rain at vintage means grapes are picked early.

These factors combine to produce wines with a uniquely tight acid structure and low alcohol which are fermented in tank with no oak or malolactic fermentation – as Tyrrell’s Bruce Tyrrell puts it: ‘What you see is the unplayed-with fruit, direct from the vineyard; if winemakers want to get too involved in Semillon, they get fired!’

Though subtle in aromatic and flavour profile, young wines show plenty of vim and vigour, finishing long, tight and pure with delicate lemon and lemongrass notes. With age, the acidity softens and wines develop in complexity showing a (waxy) mouthfeel, with mineral, savoury (toast, nuts) and honey notes.

Leading producers: Briar Ridge, Brokenwood, Hart & Hunter, Keith Tulloch, McWilliams Mount Pleasant, Meerea Park, Pepper Tree, Thomas Wines, Tower Estate, Tyrrell’s.

The Barossa, Clare Valley, Mount Lofty, South Australia

Although the Barossa is also blessed with a rich heritage of old vine Semillon, neither it nor other South Australian regions focus on Semillon like the Hunter Valley or Western Australia, so there’s more stylistic variation. However, in general, wines from the state’s warm, dry, inland regions tend to be fruitier and fuller-bodied expressions with Semillon’s trademark citrus (lemon and lime) fruit.
With softer acidity than Hunter Valley Semillons, Barossa wines are generally more forward and less age worthy. Top wines are often oaked and develop lemon curd, honey and beeswax notes with age.

Leading producers: Mitchell, Mount Horrocks, Peter Lehmann, The Willows Vineyard, Tim Adams, Torbreck, Uleybury.

Margaret River, Western Australia

With its temperate maritime climate, gravel lateritic soils and long, dry growing season, Margaret River has been compared to Bordeaux in a good year. As in Bordeaux, Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blends prevail. Wines typically have a sweet talc/herbal note alongside zesty, high-definition lemon and lime fruit.

Leading examples, which can age for a decade or more, are oaked, with a Graves-like flinty, smoky quality. Subtly fruity, straight Semillon sits somewhere between South Australian and Hunter Valley wines.

Leading producers: Cape Mentelle, Cullen, Fraser Gallop, Moss Wood, Pierro, Stella Bella, Vasse Felix, Willespie, Wills Domaine.

Riverina, New South Wales

Hotter and drier, the growing season for this inland region continues well into the autumn when early morning mists and fog create perfect conditions for the onset of botrytis. It is home to lusciously sweet, peachy dessert wines cut with citrus acidity, the best of which are oaked.

Leading producers: De Bortoli, Lillypilly Estate, Nugan Estate.

SEMILLON TOP TIPS

Imbibe’s Restaurant Personality of the Year, Christine Parkinson of Hakkasan, gives you six great ideas for getting the most out of the Semster

- Young Hunter Semillon is the perfect palate cleanser before a meal – promote it by the glass as an aperitif.

- How many wines are below 12% abv, dry and of such high quality? Make a virtue of it on your wine list and ensure that staff are aware of its unique qualities.

- Dry, not overtly fruity, and refreshing, Hunter Valley Semillon is a good switch sell for Old World wines with a similar profile – Sancerre, for example.

- Trade on the Bordeaux connection for Margaret River Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blends and sweet Riverina Semillons, which are more accessible in terms of both pocket and palate.

- Aged white wines from Australia are almost unknown in Europe and relative to wines from Germany and Alsace – and especially Burgundy – they represent great value for money. So list mature
Hunter Valley Semillon to strengthen your mature wine offer and encourage customers to trade up.

- Australian Semillon and Semillon/Sauvignon blends can take you through a meal, from start to finish – theme and promote a degustation menu or a wine flight around Semillon.

Editorial feature from Imbibe Magazine – May/June 2011