Waxy

What a glorious texture the Henschke 'Louis' Semillon 2005 has. It manages that trick of having fine and fun, refreshing acid along with a weighty, waxy palate. It's all very ripe fig...... and very ripe fig and then some. A bit of kero and that beesewax-y texture wrapping it all up along with the weird aromatics of mothballs. Sounds bad, but tastes amazing!

So good now but if you can wait on the wine for 5 years (or even 10) then the whole Arabian Oasis awaits. Figs and dates and warm honey and warm sand and warm exotic nights.

Pyramid Valley Hille Semillon 2006

Pale gold flecked with green and an exotic nose of figs and lemongrass. The layers of this wine recall the complexity and fragrance of Thai food and the palate is alive with flavours of the east. Lemongrass and coriander dominate the front of the palate which is rounded out by green coffee bean and pandan ( the vanilla of the east). The savoury aspect from the pandan is further fattened with tonka bean in the persistent length of the wine, giving it a breadth that the nose doesn't suggest. Multifaceted and more than a bit elusive.

An exotic Asian dish of a wine (in more than one meaning of "dish").

A piece of 2 by 4

Appears to be sticking out of my wine and for some reason it's not all that bad. I had a nasty trick (well not that nasty really) played on me earlier tonight when my work colleagues pressed a taste of this wine into my hand with a quizzical arch of the eyebrow. I sniffed and swirled in the appropriate manner and declared;
"Over-oaked vanilla character competely dominating some fleshy grapefruit" or something like that.
"Out of balance Chardonnay" was my verdict.

Turns out I was drinking the Clearview Semillon 2007 which (horrors) I have had before and not a Chardonnay at all. I'm drinking it now too. It's actually better warmer (it was fridgid earlier) which helps the oak stay settled in the fruit rather than poking out like a rude bit in too tight shorts. With warmth this Semillon develops a generous (if slightly forward) personality of kalamansi lime and coconut. A tropical holiday in a bottle. Wearing an Hawaian shirt (and too tight shorts..)

Late night tipple

Tasting after work when you're tired can lead to some pretty funny notes. Admittedly the palate may not be doing its best work but the brain is working in wierd and wonderful ways as evidenced by this....

Sileni 'The Circle' Semillon 2004
I picked this up from the winery for $15 as and end of bin special. And the cellar hand told me that this is no longer in production.
It's deep gold in the glass and the first impression is of beeswax and warm hay with a floral note in the background. The palate is broad, slightly herbal and a little bit tingly on the tongue. There's good length too with the herbal note resolving itself into bayleaf. Actually, it's like a big warm hayfield with a few wildflowers and a couple of bumblebees and some clover. Not hugely complex despite all that's going on. Like running through the hayfield in the sun and only catching glimpses of the different aspects. But it is mouthfilling with lemons and pith and a tiny bit savoury.