I remember tasting a 1995 Mount Pleasant Lovedale years ago and, more than anything else, what struck me was its mouthfeel. The closest I can come to describing it is “waxy,” which doesn’t do it justice but nevertheless communicates some of the curiously slippery, yet finely textural, impression the wine made on my tongue. It was totally beguiling and has become something I look for in Hunter Semillon. 

And this wine has it, though embryonically. First to the nose, which is surprisingly open at the moment, showing citrus flowers and powdery perfume, high toned and with good detail. There’s also just a hint of something less straightforwardly fruity — minerally perhaps — adding darkness and some mystery to the aroma profile. 

The palate is, structurally, quite complex. Entry is flavoursome and lively, with a good dose of acidity and a squeeze of lemon juice. The wine then smoothes out a little, and that nascent waxy mouthfeel creeps in, helping the wine to relax and express itself with less edginess. It’s like a translucent sheen over the wine’s flavour and structure, perhaps robbing it of some detail but also cushioning its impact in a very sensual, attractive way. The after palate regains some more discernible texture before a reasonable finish exhibits one last, teasing flourish of softness.

What a pleasure.