94 pts James Halliday (TOP 100 WINES) 9/29/10 - Exceptional flavour with similarities to riesling from the citrus nuances in most.
Tasting
Notes
2/26/10
The 2009 Margan Semillon is straw in colour with a green hue. It displays a bouquet of fresh lemon and lime with hints of crushed nettle. The palate is long, lively and textured with seamless acidity accompanying a long focused finish. Enjoy now as a young, racy wine or cellar for another 5 years (and beyond) to appreciate the aged complexities of classic Hunter Valley Semillon.
Food
Accompaniments
Great with seafood.
Awards,
Reviews and other Notes
94 pts James Halliday (TOP 100 WINES) 9/29/10
Margan family is just that; grandfather Frank margan had the best restaurant in Cessnock in the '60's and dabbled in winemarking;his son Adrew and wife Lisa ( and children) settled down with their winery in1997. A very good example of the 2009 Hunter semillons; tasted straight after a run of rieslings ( from cool regions) confirms these have exceptional flavour with similarities to riesling from the citrus nuances in most."
91 pts Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar Sept. 2011 (JR) Green-tinged gold. Lemon pith, lime, licorice and quinine on the nose. Firm and racy, with dry citrus and pear flavors braced by dusty minerals. A touch of bitter apple skin on the finish provides energy and cut. This impressively balanced and precise wine is destined for a long, positive evolution in the bottle; it's also an outstanding value.
88 pts Robert Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate (LPB) #188 Coming from 30 year old, estate owned vines, the 2009 Semillon gives a good intensity of lemonade and fresh lime juice aromas with a whiff of fresh cut herbs. Crisp with good weight and more alcohol than normal for this style (12.5%) it provides a good intensity of citrus flavors. Long finish. Drink now to 2016.
88 pts Wine Spectator Magazine (HS) Light and airy, but not lacking in flavor, focusing on melon and lime notes. A hint of something grainy, reminiscent of beer, lurks in the background.
Winemaker Notes
The grapes for this wine were selected from our 40 year old vines growing on our volcanic “Fordwich Sill” vineyards of Broke Fordwich. This vineyard produces wines of a richer softer style with intense citrus like flavours. Handpicked and 100% estate grown. The juice was fermented under temperature controlled conditions to maintain all of its fruit characters. True to Hunter tradition, no oak is used.
