Joelle Thomson

Wine writer and award winning wine author


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Wine of the week - Quirky dry white

Semillon is one of the great white grapes of Bordeaux in south west France and was once a popular grape in New Zealand but it has declined hugely these days, making wines like these a relative rarity. It seems surprising that there is so little Semillon in this country, given the superb quality and style of this wine, not only now but history shows that its aging potential is also outstanding. 

Only 200 cases (six packs) were made and it is available direct from Forrest Estate

2021 Forrest Estate Marlborough Semillon RRP $28

Stunning acidity makes for great freshness in this satisfyingly complex Semillon, which has flavours of freshly dried grass, fresh green herbs such as dill and basil and superb length of flavour in every sip. This wine has the ability to age for up to and beyond a decade, for those with strong willpower. It also drinks superbly now and would make a great match with seafood of any sort.  

18.5/20