Gramps Botrytis Semillon 2006

Gramps Botrytis Semillon (Riverina, NSW)
Screwcap, $20

Gramps is another quiet achiever from the Orlando stable – the reds are almost uniformly fine value for money and can pull off some great awards from time to time. This is the only wine in the range produced from non South Australian fruit. Very curious that a wine label named after one of the Barossan wine industry pioneers has a Riverina sticky in the stable – its like the Australian Cricket Team fielding a Kiwi ring in (Russell Crowe anyone).

An orange yellow colour, with a slightly dull colour (though that is more a result of Botrytised fruit than anything else I suppose). On the nose it is classically honeyed, with marmalade, cumquat and lemon curd, matched with some residual volatility. The palate is round, lemon limey and very full, with creamy, candied orange fruit. Nicely integrated oak is in the background.

Overall this is quite a well made Botrytis Semillon, but the palate is just too round, intense and full for this to be a truly enjoyable wine. Needs food desperately, then it may well resolve itself, though a few yrs in the bottle will also help 16.0