Intense aromas of crème brûlée, dried pineapple, and botrytis-kissed apricot fill the senses, accented by a hint of vanilla and blossom. The taste is profoundly rich and full-bodied, yet exquisitely fresh, delivering layers of honeyed pear, sweet spices, and a mineral complexity that extends into a seemingly endless, harmonious finish.

The freshness of this wine demonstrates why Hunter semillon is possibly the most under-rated wine style in the world. The aromas centre around lemon, lime and fresh hay, and the palate is decidedly linear, based on a spine of acidity. This exceptional wine, at six years of age, is still at least five away from its optimum drinking window. 'Little or no colour change; the bouquet is distinctly aromatic, but still focused on primary fruit, not toast or honey; the palate is electrifying, drawing saliva from the mouth with its mix of unsweetened lemon juice/lemon zest and life-giving acidity, the DNA of great Semillon.10.9% alcohol.' (2009 Vintage) - 97 points. - James Halliday February 2016.

The Triolet blend, first produced at this vineyard in 1987, was inspired by the white wines of Graves, Bordeaux. Each variety is picked at optimum ripeness, and is usually fermented separately. The characteristics of optimum ripeness are different for each variety. We pick the Sauvignon blanc after the strong herbaceous flavours have disappeared, the Semillon when the acid is not too harsh, and the Muscadelle when the flavour intensity peaks.

'We are tasting the Tyrrell's 2006 Vat 1 semillon, a Hunter Valley wine which, at sevenyears old, is still a juvenile, easily capable of another decade of good drinking. Its longevity is at the very heart of what makes it so astounding. To think of it as a one-year-old is a different story: gangly, acid, water and neutral flavour, not astounding. Vat 1 also shows us you don't have to pay big dollars for greatness.' - Canberra Times, Jeni Port, 10 Apr 2013. Extract from 'What makes a great wine?'

Released with bottle age this is a wine which will still continue to evolve over many years the toasty lemony flavours becoming richer and more intense. A classic benchmark Hunter Semillon, it has earned its place in the Langtons Classification of Australian Wine.

Few places seem to posses the divinely ordained right to produce Bordeaux’s other iconic export, Sauternes, quite like Clos Haut-Peyaguey. Across 12 hectares of plateau-topping Premier Cru Classé vineyard, Semillon (and a smidge of Sauvignon) grapes patiently wait out summer for the noble rot to set in. We’re talking about botrytis, of course. Once it does, the sweetest grapes are handpicked for vinification before being sent for a French oak siesta. The result is one of the world’s most revered sweet white wines. Unctuous and syrypy; floral and fruity; jammy and spicy: trés magnifique!

Since 1984 Château Rieussec has been the Sauternes property of the Rothschild family, owners of Chateau Lafite. Rieussec, a neighbour of Chateau dYquem, had for generations been a leading producer and was ranked Premier Cru in 1855. Even so, under Rothschild ownership the property has been transformed, with new cellars and winery and far more rigorous grape selection (plus greater use of barrel fermentation and maturation) for the flagship Grand Vin. This has led to Rieussecs clear emergence as a rival to its famous neighbour. Chateau Rieussec is 90% Semillon, with minor contributions from Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. The property is 110ha with 68ha under vine.

Rayne Vigneaus vineyard overlooks Sauternes near the village of Bommes and forms the third highest point in the area after Yquem. Founded by Gabriel de Vigneau in the early 17th century. Madame de Rayne, née Catherine de Pontac, bought the Domaine du Vigneau in 1834. Under her ownership, the estate reached the envied rank of premier Grand Cru Classé of Sauternes in the famous 1855 classification. Today, Château de Rayne Vigneau is a true benchmark for the Sauternes appellation. Its intensely fresh style,stands out vintage after vintage.