Oh, and it’s generally a bloody good drop too. This one is not yet released. Interestingly for a wine style that tends to do quite well at the Sydney Royal Wine Show, this comprehensively failed to win any medals in its class in the 2009 show. On the basis of this tasting, it’s slightly atypical in its softness, and perhaps showing some of the coolness of the season in its flavour profile, but still an excellent wine.

Still full of CO2 spritz. Over an hour after pouring my first glass, there are still plenty of bubbles apparent and a noticeable influence on both nose and palate. Looking past the sparkling mineral water character, the aroma is already complex, if a bit all over the place. There’s lemon rind, toast, herbs and grass. I’m always impressed when young Hunter Semillon shows a range of flavours, as the best ones tend to do. The definition is slightly hazier than I’d like, but it’s expressive and seems built to accumulate aged notes.

Palate is very nicely structured. Quite full on entry, with a softness to the mouthfeel that temporarily masks a thrust of citrus fruit that shoots out from underneath and carries right down the line. More cut grass and pithy citrus; there’s good detail to the flavour profile, and it’s all quite lively thanks to the spritz and a firm, sherbet-like line of acid. It’s pretty young and raw, again with a haze of softness that drifts over the whole and adds a pretty, perfume-like influence to the wine. Excellent length.

Not remotely ready to drink, but should be fun with a few more years’ bottle age. Nice to see this with a screw cap.