Vasse Felix Margaret River Semillon 2007
The question with wood-aged semillon is typically when is enough oak enough? Margaret River semillons have oscillated over the years between the clunkily over-wooded to the super-greenish battery acid-like extremes, achieving most success with deftly, sensitively oaked semillons whose fruit is still allowed to play first violin. Here’s a beauty, with lightly toasty, vanilla and butter-like nuances beneath some pretty, nettley and cut-grass-like semillon whose juicy melon and citrusy flavours are handsomely enhanced with creamy lees-derived influences. It’s tightly focused and wrapped up with a zesty dose of acidity and delivers a length and brightness that stays and stays with you. (Margaret River, $25 retail, approx., 95 points, drink 2009-2012+) Jeremy Oliver
Jumping from one side of the country to the other in a single bound we can experience another Super Semillon. This time from Vasse Felix who do a very good line in the fuller oaked style. This sees 40% new French oak, but only for 10 weeks, which is sort of like a little holiday for the grapes in a fragrant wooded area.
This has aromas of lime, melon and green bean supported with vanilla and clove spice oak which is always an unusual combination for me, yet one I find strangely compelling here. On the palate light to medium weight with flavours of sweet lime and herbs, gentle sweet pea pod and spicy vanilla oak. It has soft pure acid and feels well rounded with little dollop of creaminess helping to add gloss. Vitality, complexity, fine balance and very good long finish all add up to make a top Semillon in the wooded style. Drink : 2008 - 2015 94 points Gary Walsh, Winorama
