Harkham Winery Semillon Aziza's Hunter Valley
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ABOUT The Hunter Valley is known for its unapologetically unblended Semillon. The traditional way of making it is to harvest at low sugar levels, lightly press it, and then ferment it without skin contact or barrel fermentation. At Harkham, this is done in the exact opposite way (with the exception of maintaining the early picking to retain acidity and low sugar levels). Fourteen years ago, the Harkham family decided to turn the traditional way of making Semillon on its head by letting the grapes see a short amount of skin contact prior to barrel fermentation and aging. The grapes are hand harvested early to retain their acidity. Once back at the cellar, they are chilled and left on their skins for about a day and a half before being whole-bunch pressed and racked into aged French oak barrels. The wine remains there for fermentation and aging before being racked back to tank and bottled. There are zero additions, including sulfur, to this delicate, unfiltered, and unfined wine. DATA Grapes: 100% Semillon Vineyard: Single vineyard in Pokolbin Vine Age: 31-years-old Soil Type: Sandy alluvial flats and deep loam Viticulture: Sustainable Fermentation: Native — used French oak (100% whole-bunch pressed) Skin Contact: 1.5 days Aging: 6 months in used French oak Alcohol: 10.5% pH: 3.18 Total Acidity: 7.3 g/L Total SO2: None added Total Production: 317 cases SRP: $39.99 TASTING NOTE Lovely texture and weight here. Showing its provenance in the Hunter Valley, this Semillon has beautiful notes of lemon, lanolin, and sun-drenched hay bale. Vibrant acidity caps it off. Don’t be afraid to age this one; aged Hunter Valley Semillon is an unmatched vinous pleasure. PRESS The Wine Front | 93 Wine Enthusiast | 94