Riverina Botrytised Semillon

This was a memorable wine for me, firstly because I had never tasted anything like it, and secondly because it recalled a trip to Australia  in 1993, when I encountered this wine in the Small Winemakers' Centre in the Hunter Valley. It was my first visit to Australia and my sister, her family and I went on a coach trip to the Huinter Valley, about which I had known nothing. We had visited a winery or two but then we went to this wine tasting room hosted by the Small Winemakers' Centre.

Two experiences stood the test of time. The first was with a glass of Australian Chardonnay (Was it from Hunter? I didn't remember.) The bouquet was like cutting open a fresh juicy grapefruit, putting it under your nose and sniffing, no more but no less. You see, I had heard Jilly Goolden and Oz Clakre in the BBC Food and Drink show talk about the grapefruit nose of various New World Chardonnays when I was living in the UK, but only with this wine did I realize it wasn't either a case of the educated nose, or a good dose of imagination; I merely did not meet the right mind for me to find my eureka moment. So now that moment is forever etched into my memory, even if sometimes I'm inclined to overlook it.

The second was tasting a wonderful dessert wine like this. I had had some German Auslese before I think but this botrytised Semillon from Riverina (on the New South Wales border with Victoria ) was something else. Dark, honeyed and rich, it made a great impression; so much so that I immediately bought a bottle. I did not actually find an occasion to open it until 14 Jan 2001 (so says my note). By then, my second son was already a few days old. What did my notes say - tea coloured, honey +++ on nose, honeyed raisined palate with a long finish.