De Iuliis Sunshine Vineyard Semillon 2012
11.5%, Screwcap, $25
Source: Sample
www.dewine.com.au

With the 2013 Hunter Semillons now in tank and many now effectively finished wines (though with some settling to be done yet) it’s a good time to be looking at the 2012’s I haven’t written up yet.

This single vineyard wine is typically a quite generous style of Hunter Semillon, if still cut with that typical Hunter Sem acidity. This 2012 white, however, is a very different beast all together.

What makes it stick out (in the context of previous vintages. Typical for the vintage though) is that pyrazine edge to the nose. Much like the Thomas O.C Semillon, this has an overtone of grassiness over green melon and green mango fruit. They’re not distracting notes, just atypical. The palate too is both green and sour, with powerful, lime warheads acidity cutting through the palate. Yet this wine is generous through the middle too, ultimately making for a quite affable Semillon yet also a very dry one.

Somewhat unconventional, this is attractive and drinkable but not quite complete.

Drink: 2013-2020
Score: 16.8/20 89/100
Would I buy it? Not really. I’d drink it, but it’s just not quite the sort of Hunter Semillon I prefer.