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letuffeau.com
Sigurd 2022 Barossa Valley Semillon ‘Reserve’
(Shelf Price: $65.00)
Offer: $59.00
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Order here
(Link)
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CHAMPAGNE DINNER
Andre Robert
with
Loic Avril
THURSDAY 29/10
~ selling fast ~
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Ling Nan Cantonese Restaurant
$250.00 all inclusive
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S E M I L L O N,
by way of introduction
“In Melbourne, Semillon occupies the position of the curio. Understandably, one looks to the Hunter Valley style made classic by Tyrrell's and Mount Pleasant yet judgement of these wines is somewhat clouded by parochialism.
Naturally, the drinkers of Melbourne are in the position of losing out due to this stance which sets them against the grape courtesy of its northern provenance.
Semillon of course has another valley home, in Australia that is just as historic as the Hunter: the Barossa. Many old plantings date back to the early 20th Century, if not to the 1850s, and were initially farmed for the purposes of Sherry production, fortified wines being more dominant in the marketplace than dry table wines.
My prior encounters with Barossa Semillon have greatly enamoured me to the wine and what I presume to be its regional style. Softly broad yet with fine undercutting acidity; predominate flavours of ripe pear, preserved citrus, wax, cloth; and savoury nuances that I can only describe as ‘chicken salt’. In short, delicious.”
— David
S I G U R D
Barossa Valley
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“I met Dan Graham a few weeks back, sampling a range of his wines. I really had only heard about these wines in passing. Coming from a winemaking family he has worked across Europe and returned to assist reinvigorating RedHead wines in the Barossa. Now, his full attention is on his own project: Sigurd Wines. While I found much of the range charmingly fine, table wines without damning them, I was very much struck by the qualities of his Semillon which spoke both to the varietal and very old-fashioned winemaking. The sort of winemaking I had discussed with Max Allen (Wine Critic - AFR) and Sue Hodder (Chief Winemaker - Wynns) at a recent old Claret lunch.
Slow ferment, long elevage with extended time (16m!) on lees in old oak. I believe one of the barrels formed a flor for a short time so some of its aging could be considered biological as opposed to oxidative, as was the case with other barrels. This is the winemaking of the past. Truly unhurried and allowing for the influence of terroir in a fashion other than just soil and climate.
Consequently, the wine is immensely layered and satisfying; a wonderful mix of freshness and development. I also firmly believe that it will age with grace.
I am reminded of particularly fine examples of Barossa Semillon I have seen from Cooper Davis-Draper (Oria-Riff), Brett Grocke (Eperosa), Jeremy Ottawa (Chateau Tanunda), and Marco Cirillo (Cirillo) ... and yet, Dan has managed to put his own stamp on the varietal and the region without ‘getting in the way’. Warmly recommended.”
— David
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“a thoughtful, commanding take on the grape, utterly individual and thoroughly engaging.”
— Marcus Ellis, James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion
Sigurd 2022 Barossa Valley Semillon ‘Reserve’
(Shelf Price: $65.00)
Offer: $59.00
vegetatio
“A robust golden yellow to the eye, the Sigurd 2022 Barossa Valley Semillon ‘Reserve’ is a wine of rude health and boisterously endowed with spirit. It is a wine that organically progresses, to the nose and palate, from qualities reflecting its winemaking and ‘human terroir’ to those that stem from the vineyard and season.
On the nose the wine slowly unfolds from a single point: blanched almonds. Outwards from this slowly curl aromas of lanolin, melted wax, cheese cloth and citrus curd; then firm pear and crushed citrus leaf. As the wine gains air and warms in the glass the aromatic profile opens further, though still ultimately stemming from this blanched almond origin point, with crumbled biscuits and lime curd coming into focus along with nuances of sea spray salinity.
The palate is soft and enveloping, which unlocks as this breadth reaches the sides of the palate powerful phenolics and chalky nuances akin to youthful, firm-fleshed orchard fruit. Throughout this, and despite the incisive line of underpinning acid and good grip in the cheeks, the wine remains smoothly contoured, of fulsome weight and depth, and softly long.
Brine and capers, tart pineapple and pear, some cashew and wax. Then, riper pear and notes of pear blossom tending to herbal flavours such as marjoram and lemon (dare I write: chicken salt?), with lovely preserved lemon touches that are simultaneously fragrant and sweetly fruited, and also bitter and complex.
One most imagine here a ‘Pilgrim's Progress’ on the palate: the wine opens bitter, savoury and tersely gastronomic. As it sits in the palate and one finishes a mouthful there is a sudden transformation, the flavours appear weightier and richer. The finish is perfumed and elegant, with a faint underscoring of the initial bitterness twinned to saline savoury qualities as if both to refresh and remind the drinker of its origin. Very fine.”
— David
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“Bright gold, lightly hazy. Nutty, savoury, yet shot through with lemon-scented fruit, both preserved and fresh, some cool stone fruit, too. Lanolin, beeswax, citrus curd, lemongrass, salted praline, ground ginger and clove, the palate chewy with tannin and electric in acidity, though it dwells within, a quiet support. It’s a thoughtful, commanding take on the grape, utterly individual and thoroughly engaging.”
95pts — Marcus Ellis, James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion
Order here
(Link)
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