2018 Boekenhoutskloof Semillon

The 2018 Semillon was blended with 4% Muscat d'Alexandrie and begins with a nose of wax melon, pineapple husk, dusty yellow apple, a soft nutty tone and mineral essence. Medium-bodied, the wine displays a delightful, richly textured mouthfeel with a balanced mid-palate. The wine initially offers up flavors of sweet citrus and spiced mandarin orange before blanched almonds persist in the mouth with a thoughtful and complex spiciness. This Sémillon concludes with a clean, mineral finish that will remain food friendly until its tenth birthday. Seventy percent of the wine spent 14 months in 70% French oak, while the remainder aged in concrete egg and clay amphora. Just under 10,000 bottles were filled.

The 2018 Sémillon comes from vines planted as far back as 1902, the fruit whole-bunch-pressed and fermented in a combination of French barriques, concrete eggs and clay amphorae. It has a defined bouquet of yellow flower (dandelion?), white peach and subtle lime aromas. The palate is well balanced with a dab of ginger on the entry and a waxy texture. Peach skin commingles with chamomile toward the finish. This is a classy Sémillon.