Mount Horrocks 2023 Clare Valley Semillon

"This 2023 Semillon clearly announces its varietal with a nose of sweet pear, brine and capers, preserved citrus rind, and crumbled Arnott's Lemon Crisp biscuits. There is an intriguing sensation of being both open knit and ready to trick, and slightly knotted and steely at the core. This, naturally, makes for very good drinking though I could easily sit here and contemplate the olfactory elements swirling in the glass. Fuller and richer on the palate, than its counterparts in the Hunter Valley, this wine still finishes fresh and chiselled with a lovely interplay between richer, toastier elements and a steely, lemon-grass adjacent central vein. There is a wonderful phenolic grip here that smooths out towards the back palate. Chalk dust, pear and boiled lemon lollies, buttered toast; then green bean, lime zest, and wax. Delicious. A dash of bitterness, like green melon rind, on the finish makes for moreish drinking." — David