We visited Mt. Pleasant Wines in Hunter Valley. Their Lovedale Semillons are among my favorites, even though the Shiraz wines are also among Australia’s top wines. The Lovedale vineyard was planted in 1946 by the legendary Maurice O’Shea, and its sandy soils have been producing polished and elegant Semillons ever since.
They are one of the best examples demonstrating that making great Semillons is done in the vineyard – not in the cellar. Fairly neutral in their youth, they start to show their true class after about five years and develop their characteristic toasty notes.
Today, the 2022, 2017, 2013 and 2011 vintages were available for tasting. The Lovedale from the warm 2017 year is already showing wonderful accessibility with elegant toastiness, orange marmalade and quince. 2013 and 2011 are both very complex with great freshness and focus.
