TN: Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2005

[Waiters Friend]

I used to drink a lot more of these than I do now, and the contents of my cellar currently reflect this, with less than a quarter of the bottles I used to hold. I've not bought recent vintages partially due to changing tastes, but also due to the uncertainty in the early 2010s concerning the alleged introduction of a percentage of Sauvignon Blanc into the wine, to make it more drinkable at a younger age, and to appeal to a younger demographic. Years later, I still don't know how factual this was.

Regardless, this is my last bottle of the 2005, and it is glowing yellow-gold in the glass. The anticipated lemon on the nose has largely disappeared, and is replaced with lanolin (mostly) and honeysuckle, and seems quite simple. The palate is more interesting, with toasty development (it's an unoaked wine) and a range of peaches and stonefruit. Again, no citrus to be seen. I'm sensing moderate acid, although it's more apparent on the back palate, without being tart. There's also a sense of tannic grip on the back palate (again, no oak though), and lanolin / wool makes another appearance.

For me, I'd like to have looked at this last bottle a couple of years ago. For others, however, this might be sitting well for them. It depends on how much age you like in your Hunter semillon.

Cheers
Allan

[mychurch]

Sounds too young for me Allan. I have an 06 in the ‘drink soon’ fridge and maybe I need to keep it a bit longer.

[Waiters Friend]

Sounds too young for me Allan. I have an 06 in the ‘drink soon’ fridge and maybe I need to keep it a bit longer.

Different tastes, perhaps. I have two bottles each of 2006 and 2007, but the next one I will look at is the 2011. When I was drinking more of these, around 12 years of age seemed to be the sweet spot for me, although the sweet spot was very wide!

The greatest Australian white wine I have ever had was the 1986 Lovedale semillon (also Mount Pleasant) and I probably had 15 bottles at various times, at 12-26 years of age (the wine, not me). These just didn't change - they were immortal - and I would be delighted if someone opened one for me today.

[mychurch]

Thanks for the tip.

Sounds a bit like some of the older white Bordeaux wines I have drunk. I’ve had a few at over 50 years old and they were in great shape. They hadn’t really developed though and now that I have tried a lot more old wines the top ones are those that seem to be on a journey somewhere. German Riesling has this, whereas, for example, top Austrian Gruner, which also lasts for decades, seems to stay at a constant level.

[Croquet King]

Hi Allan,

I too used to drink a lot of this but stopped when they did put a % of SB in the blend in 2010.
I haven't bought a bottle since. I had so much of the 92-94 vintages all at about $9 - ah the good old days.

I have maybe 12 left of various vintages that I'll have to try.

My tastes have gone away from Semillon to Riesling.