I can’t remember why I decided to buy at least four bottles of this and place them in the cellar. It must have shown promise on release. Either that, or I found it at a ridiculously low price and made an impulse purchase. It’s been known to happen. Anyway, here we are eight years later and I think it’s time I checked on its progress. Still relatively pale in colour, showing hints of richer hay in amongst the fresh green hues. Mercifully, not corked. Subtle aromas of sharp citrus with a touch of the aged honey character that one anticipates in an aged Hunter Semillon. But it’s hardly a full-blown aged aroma profile. The palate is disappointingly dilute, and I don’t know whether the wine is going through a “phase,” or if it lacks sufficient intensity of flavour to become a satisfying mature style. Entry shows remnants of the spritzy acidity of a young Hunter Semillon, but this quickly trails off to a smoother, slightly waxy mouthfeel. Again, there are hints of the aged flavour profile; honey, lanolin, beeswax, etc; but there’s also easygoing citrus attributable to an easygoing youth. It’s all attractive enough, but somehow watery too, and I found myself reaching for flavour but never getting enough to feel satisfied. I’m not sure if I’ll bother leaving the rest of the stash to mature further. Well, maybe one as an experiment. The rest, I’ll drink soonish and enjoy what is an easy quaffing style that doesn’t ask a lot of the drinker (and doesn’t give too much in return).BrokenwoodPrice: $A20ishClosure: CorkDate tasted: June 2008
I too bought a few bottles of the 2000 Brokenwood semillon. I believe it was the white wine of the year in a Penguin Australian wine guide. I haven’t opened a bottle as yet but recently I did notice that the colour through the bottle still looked light.
It’s disheartening to hear that the wine isn’t doing well and that it appears dilute. My suggestion, as I’ve learned over time, is to leave the wine alone, it may be in a dumb or transitory phase where the loss of fruit and primary character hasn’t yet been replaced with complexity, and those oily, waxy lanolin characters that is the hallmark of older semillon. Besides, it’s not like it’s terribly enjoyable now.
I’ve had what appeared to be “dead” wines recover some years later and offered lots of character and interest. Just my two bits.
Cheers……………Mahmoud.