Out Of The Bottle
With David Ellis McGuigan Wines’ 2011 The Semillon Blanc & Chandon Vintage Brut Rosé 2008
The
Hunter Valley’s Neil McGuigan is without doubt Australia’s
master-craftsman when it comes to Semillon, and he’s now both surprised
and delighted his legions of fans by coming up with a virtually total
new style that he’s labelled The Semillon Blanc.
Because while
it’s got Semillon’s forward lemony/lime flavours, Neil’s actually
enhanced those vibrant citrus characters, and also coaxed out some
wonderfully delicious tropical fruit flavours as well by blending-in
fruit from the Murray and Barossa Valleys as well as his home-town
Hunter.
It’s resulted in an aromatic, flavoursome and crisp wine
that could almost be likened to Australian White Burgundy, and which at
just 11.5% alcohol is perfect with seafoods such as pan-fried whiting,
or to purely enjoy on its own.
Neil came up with the McGuigan
Wines’ 2011 The Semillon Blanc after a UK wine writer asked him “What’s
the next big thing to come out of the Australian wine industry?” Not
having an answer, he invited his winemaking team to join him in
creating that “next big thing.”
It’s a super result, but we have
one misgiving: while the $12.99 price tag is great for consumers, does
it under-value this wine’s uniqueness and quality? One For Lunch
Victoria's
Domaine Chandon Sparkling Winemaker, Glenn Thompson drew on fruit from
no less than eight cool-climate areas in Victoria and South Australia
to achieve exactly what he set out to do with the just-released Chandon
Vintage Brut Rosé 2008.
A blend of 45% Chardonnay and 55% Pinot
Noir, that included a small percentage of Pinot Noir fermented on skins
to give the wine its distinct colour, this is a real party-food drop
with mouth-filling berry flavours, toasty characters, some savoury
spice and a fine creaminess. Good value at $39.95.
Need a drink?
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