Mount Pleasant (McWilliams), Lovedale Semillon, Hunter Valley

Winery note - A standout vintage, with multiple award-winning Lovedale and Elizabeth wines. Widely regarded as excellent in the Hunter Valley, 2011 offered near- perfect growing conditions that led to an exceptional harvest. While heavy rain affected much of Australia during harvest, the Hunter Valley was spared, allowing for the production of superb wines that truly reflect the quality of the vintage. Fruit reached optimal flavour ripeness at low to moderate sugar levels, resulting in wines with outstanding natural balance. …

2011 vintage

Simply too old for this cork to have done its job. Frustratingly, the underlying quality is visible, just buried under a partly oxidised palate 13.

1996 vintage

From magnum. Still needs another 10 years in this format. Soft and easy drinking. To the point of being a little too laid back for a few non semillon drinkers in the room. I really like this and can see if offering a heap more as it turns tertiary over the next several years. Hold.

2014 vintage

at the winery, greenish yellow colour, still youthful, very intense clean nose, interesting and nuanced, lovely clean palate with great intensity of flavour, excellent balance between structure and acid, really good, a great Lovedale Semillon that is nice now but with further potential for the next 10 years at least, a real treat

2018 vintage

Langtons classification tasting (Hyatt Regency, Sydney) : Grass, lemongrass, a little lime joins lemon, very slight sulphur. Juicy tends to medium plus intensity acidity, the palate reflects the nose, balanced, lovely.

2018 vintage

Cellartracker on tour with Vintomas - whistestop Hunter (Hunter Valley) : a little sulphur, bacon fat, cream, hay, green apple, tiny honey…sulphur note dissipates with time. Juicy, slightly creamy on the palate as well, citrus, green apple, a little texture, long, nice.

2018 vintage

Cellartracker on tour with Vintomas - whistestop Hunter (Hunter Valley) : lemon and lemon grass, lime, honeyed note and a little lactic underpin. Juicy, tangy, slightly buttery, rich, citrus notes, balanced, long, lovely.

2014 vintage

I have had this wine 3 times in 6 weeks, this bottle the finest, retains its freshness and Lovedale typicity. Lanolin, faint toast, beeswax, cooked limes and a wonderful mouthfeel and long finish. Recently released from the vineyard I suspect, as while the bottles vary they are remarkably consistent for 28 years under cork seal. No cork wood evident in best bottles and none have been oxidised 18.75.

1996 vintage

Tasted in Sydney with Chatters; wine has a pale lemony yellow color, is fragrant and lithe with some coaxing.Some minerality but not much of a palate. Basically A disappointment. I would have expected more from this one, especially at the -rather elevated - price. A wine bottled with a cork closure would probably have been more evolved at this age.

2018 vintage

It’s all about the nose on this one. Previous reviews describe it very well. The palate is reminiscent of a cool climate Riesling with high levels of acidity and grapey character. Some effervescence which disappeared on the second day. Overall it’s well made but overpriced for what it delivers. Not sure if it would benefit from additional short term storage. Probably at least another 10 years before the acidity start to settle down.

2010 vintage

Semillon Lunch (Grappa Leichhardt) : A rich gold colour but still pale at the edge. Developed toasty aromas over the lemon curd fruit. Mature palate, long, complex, lemony with lanolin and nutty/almond notes kept fresh by the lively acidity. A crowd pleaser RW1 18.5

1996 vintage

Slight butter, toast, apple, a little hay and a very slight clay note. Juicy, hay, apple, textured grip, long, concentrated. A little more forward than I would have expected but none the worse for that. Nice.

2018 vintage

From magnum. Complex, smoky richness. Very good. Just beginning to drink. Better with another decade.

2014 vintage

An Epic Summer Wine Weekend - Year 2; 6/30/2023-7/2/2023 (Muskoka, Ontario, Canada) : [Tasted Double Blind] This pours bright zippy light straw with flecks of yellow and green. The nose is super intense with reduction, candy cane, fresh lemon, stony mineral, and besswax. Really quite an appealing and high complexity nose. The palate is crazy light and frankly a tad dilute. The low alcohol nature really shows through. Blind I felt this was clearly 11% or less. The mid-palate is …

2010 vintage

A second monster tasting at Laszlo's : Blind. Orange, lemon, woolen notes and white florals - classic profile on the nose which made picking the variety easy. Palate is lean and flinty with plenty of texture to keep it interesting. Very good all around.

2014 vintage

Only very slight colour. Fine lemon, lime, green apple aromas. Subdued but opening up over an hour. Fine, restrained emerging citrus and green apple flavours. A baby. Clearly harvested early for acid and longevity. 12 alc. Halliday called it an adolescent. I will give it 10 years to grow up. It has the makings of a wonderful aged Hunter Semillon. Such wines are a truly unique Australian gem and I have been fortunate to drink a few.

2014 vintage

Pronounced crushed granite and toast on the nose; light to medium-bodied and slightly oily in texture, the wine is saline and briney, interspersed with lemon acidity and considerable length. This bottle was only purchased recently and thus had questionable storage history, yet even so this was an impressive display. Would guess that well-stored bottles will need at least another 5 years or so before the interest tertiary characters sufficiently emerge.

2014 vintage

Pale lemon colour, hints of lemon, wet stone, lime, dry herbs, green apple, almond, ginger and grass. Medium acidity, medium body and short finish.

2014 vintage

Similar to my note on the 2017 though less sweet and sijce sweetness (and maybe a touxh of minerality) is all that's going, gets a point less

2014 vintage

same notes as before. Nice fullness to the wine with a bit of tanginess on the palate.

2010 vintage

{screwcap} Quite developed, with a dusty, smoky nose to the aromas and flavours. Grass and lanolin on the palate, hints of grapefruit, with a brief burst of acid, then a fairly greasy sort of texture. Medium weight. Interesting balance of flavours, even palate, medium length finish; lacks the last word in complexity and interest. Close to peak as far as interest goes, I reckon, but it should hold a while still. $135 at Sails Mc Mahon's Point.

2014 vintage

Hunter Whistlestop 2022 (Hunter Valley) : Honey, slightly butter, toast, apple, lemon, foral top notes, very pretty nose. Juicy, medium plus intensity acidity, tangy, butter, honey, apple, a little bitterness on the finish but very nice indeed.

2014 vintage

One of the best aged Hunter Semillons I've ever tasted. Cork came out cleanly (thanks to the Durand corkscrew). Deep lemon yellow colour - thank goodness no brown. Faint toast on the nose. Palate of honey on light toast. Still some acid underlying it all. A beautifully aged Hunter Semillon from a very good year. Supernacular! Two left in my cellar as of June 2022.

1996 vintage

In a good place. Starting to show some toastiness. Typical lovedale profile. Nice medium weight and some slight texture building. You’ll be happy enough opening now or over the next decade.

2014 vintage

Tasting very developed for an eight year old semillon, but as a Dan Murphy's purchase i'm not sure of its provenance. Fading lemon, butter, honey, toast, minerals. It's still bright and perky but the fruit is definitely quiet and that butter and honey is making some noise. A good semillon but based on this bottle it's time to drink up.

2014 vintage

Green gold. Backbone of hay green grass with lemon lime mandarin white flowers and hint of honey. Beautifully balanced. Best drunk at 13-14 deg C.NS

2010 vintage

Vibrant yellow and golden with a vague greenish tinge. Aromas of starfruit (dominant), lemon/lime. Undertones of grapefruit, flinty, petrol, herbs, lanolin, brine. It just "smells citrusy bitter". Slight honeyed tinges as well, but definitely on the drier side overall. Overall a really nice balance of fruit and acidity. Long finish. A definite heavier presence on the mouthfeel. Definite lemony flavours, zesty acidity, slightly sour yet with some lemon peel bitterness and a touch (faint) of honey to keep it focused. …

2010 vintage

Pale lemon, looks young and light. Fresh nose of lemon juice, starfruit, honey, toast, wet stones, petrol and lanolin. Expressive with a long acid line. Classic Hunter Valley semillon that is just developing. Years to go.

2010 vintage

Not often that you get to taste a flagship wine of the region for such a price. Bone dry Sémillon, very unique wine with great nervosity and energy. Fresh citrus fruit and a great cut.

2010 vintage

I once asked Phil Ryan about ten years ago, if there was ever a fire in the Mount Pleasant winery, which wine would be the first he would grab before getting out. This was the wine he nominated. He told me that about 50% of bottles were tipped due to poor corks. I got hold of eight bottles that had been checked. I drank my last bottle two years ago. It was a classic older style Hunter semillon with lovely …

1996 vintage

开瓶不就便爆发出青柠、青苹果、稻草和矿石的奔放香气，一点蜂蜜和焦糖为清爽芳香的主调增补了复杂度和更多愉悦感。酸度高但不失衡，入口纯净而集中，品质出众。88-89

2010 vintage

Vibrant yellow/golden colour with a vague greenish tinge. Aromas of lemon and lime, grapefruit, orange peel, flint, herbs, brine. It just "smells citrusy bitter" with wafts of sea breezes. Slight honeyed tinges as well, but definitely on the drier side overall. Overall a really nice balance of fruit and acidity. Long finish. Fresh, vibrant. Palate repeats. Still needs more time to age and develop. This will be a good one.

2010 vintage

55th TWIGS Tasting (Villa Chang) : Cork (only 1/3 soaked). 10.5% alc. Mid golden. Smells of lemon, straw, pineapple, toast and a touch of kerosene. Palate still had some lift from the acid line. It's quite settled and resolved though. With food, the wine seemed even fresher.

1996 vintage

Green gold appearance. Opulent expansive bouquet of lime, mandarin, hay, white flowers, wet earth and a hint of lychees.Balanced palate with vivid definition of flavour. Great balance and length. Drunk at 8 degrees C. Best after 10 minutes in the decanter and starts simplifying at 35 minutes. Riedel Bordeaux glasses. Score 100

2010 vintage

Man, this was a great bottle... Cork was half soaked, colour was fantastic, almost lemon yellow. On the nose a very young Sem... still had the lemons, a bit of toast... Still had some nice acid to it, and still alot of primary fruit but with secondary buttery, toasty, vegemitey characteristics of aged hunter sem. Even better, this paired extremely well with our food from the Chinese restaurant: Ginger & shallot mud crab, Grandma tofu, special fried rice... I'm sad …

1996 vintage

Hunter Valley 2016 Trip #1 (Hunter Valley, Australia) : Flint, orange peel, apples, lime and light florality. I like the flow on the palate, the balance feels right. Good length as well. Will age very nicely.

2010 vintage

A toasty 94/100 (4.0/5.0) from me. This iconic Hunter Semillon has no less than 5 gold medals, a Halliday 96 and a Top 100 Wine (2015) award from Wine Companion. On the nose there's lemons, limes, biscuit cake and flowers. The palate is lively and toasty, with freshly baked lemon tart, lime and tropical fruits dancing through the palate, into a fine lingering finish. It felt very young to me, and no doubt will age gracefully with care.

2010 vintage

2014 Sydney Royal Wine Show - Exhibitor's Tasting & Trophy Wines Lunch (Homebush & Four Seasons Hotel) : [gold medal] {screwcap} Everything the 2012 isn’t; toasty, honeyed, lemongrass aromas and flavours, with a bit of surprise citrus on the palate. Light-medium body of medium intensity; this finishes long, evenly and dry. A little more developed than I’d expect at four years, but pretty impressive anyway.

2010 vintage

Otto - Pasta Charity Dinner : Served blind. Lanolin and lime with honey and a touch of smoke. Palate has weighty honeyed fruit but also has the acidity to finish cleanly. Drinking at its peak. This is the second great bottle I've had in the past couple of years, with a less impressive bottle in between.

1996 vintage

Semillon and Extras (Sydney, Australia) : Waxy, lemon and pear with a sweaty element. The palate is rich but there isn't enough acidity and it feels a little bit flabby as a result. A bottle tasted a year earlier was much better.

1996 vintage

Very toasty with some smoke, lemon, honey and lanolin. Nice roundness to the palate, finishes clean and long. This bottle was at its peak.

1996 vintage

nicely toasty yet with delicious lemon twist and curd. [at JNs]

1996 vintage

Thin. A litle past it

1996 vintage

At peak, a delicate and refined citrus character in a lovely broad setting. Only 10.5%.

1996 vintage

Golden yellow color. Honey and pear on the nose are deceiving given the lemon fruit and bracing acidity that follows. The midpalate shows a slight lanolin texture, with salt and flint to add layers. We were sure this was Chablis, but surprise again. This was one of my few experiences with aged Australian Semillon. This did not show any of the nutty/sherry characteristics I seem to get in some older white Bordeaux and even Aussie Semillon which I have had …

1996 vintage

Cork was broken when openning. Clear, light gold yellow hue. Medium acidity and light bodied. At the beginning it shos honey, citrus and some dry nuts aroma. After 2 hours in bottle it came out the aroma of coffee bean. Finish is long.

1996 vintage

Century Wine Club - October 2005 (Langton's Classification Tasting) (Shakey Tables, Rothbury, Hunter Valley) : Full shiny deep gold hue's with a classy nose showing some definite bottle age. Touches of honey and almost abit of oak coming off the front of the palette, but initially it seems dominated with metho tones which give it a tad offensive flavour. Wine definitely softened out in the glass though and grew over the next 20 minutes into a much more subtle and …

1996 vintage

NobleRottersSydney - McWilliams & Orlando (Darling Mills, Glebe) : The only way to describe the colour is glowing green! There’s not much fruit detectable to my palate even at this age, although there is a toasty quality to the wine that I find a little disconcerting. There is, unsurprisingly, a core of quite strong acid, which remains the wine’s dominant feature – it is pretty lean. Will it be a great Lovedale like the 86? Who knows? We can look …

1996 vintage

Sydney MW Summer School; 1/26/2002-1/27/2002 (Sydney Airport Stamford Hotel) : A bit dumb on the nose, eventually gives a little cut grass and lemon, then a fruit salad, almost-botrytis note. There’s some fattening out on the palate, with clean grass flavours, but then it doesn’t seem to integrate with the acid somehow. Slightly short finish too. Perhaps still a touch closed down.

1996 vintage

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Mount Pleasant (McWilliams), Lovedale Semillon, Hunter Valley

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