Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillon 2009, Hunter Valley $80
The world of wine is not immune to the forces of fashion. There's always a hunt to find the next big thing. It's what can make the business of drinking so much fun, the discovery of a new favourite varietal, region or winemaker. In the search for your next favourite gem, it's always worth remembering the classics. They are classics for a reason.
I've always considered Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillon to be one of the classics. It's one of the truly great Hunter semillon and it delivers year after year, despite vintage variations. It's capable of improving for decades in a good cellar but is equally enjoyable as a young wine.
The current release 2009 is a great example; fine and elegant, it shows the essence of pure Hunter semillon. There's delicious citrus fruit here, grapefruits and lemons to be precise.
There's a hint of honeydew melon perhaps and the faintest touch of some toasty bottle-aged complexity. After all, it's already five years old but there's more than enough life here for another decade in the cellar if you choose. Try it with some fresh oysters or homemade fish and chips.
Fergus McGhie is marketing manager at Mount Majura Winery in Canberra.
