Briar Ridge Black Cluster Hunter Valley Semillon 2023
- 95
- $50
- Drink by: 2023-2040
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Some big statements are being made about the Hunter Valley’s 2023 vintage, which started cool and wet and led to one of the latest harvests in recent memory. It is being heralded as one of the best vintages since 2018, “possibly” 2013. If Black Cluster Semillon is anything to go by, it was a stunning year for Semillon. Pristine and achingly bright, it crunches, it squeaks, bringing both tension and flavour warmth. All the Hunter Semillon classic aroma notes are to be found here: white flowers, citrus blossom, lemon meringue, citrus, gooseberry, passionfruit skin. Acidity is pithy, zesty, fresh, lip-smacking. Lemony bright to taste with lime, grapefruit skin and just a touch of quince tartness against a soft spiced appley background. It runs surprisingly deep with a light, developing mid-palate texture. So much here to enjoy so early.
Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.
