Hunter Valley Semillon – is this the closest Australia gets to making great Chenin?

1976 Individual Paddock, Rothbury Estate

With the notable exception of Houghton's remarkable White Burgundy, made from Chenin Blanc and now called White Classic, Hunter Valley Semillons may be the closest Australia gets to making great Chenin Blanc. Recently I unearthed this 1976 Individual Paddock, Hunter Valley, which we must have bought sometime in the early 1980s probably from Les Amis du Vin. The back label explains that this 1976 is 'an individual Paddock wine made entirely from Semillon grapes grown on the E blocks of the Rothbury Vineyard'. The selection committee was made up of Len Evans, Rudy Komon, Murray Tyrrell and Gerry Sissingh (winemaker). It was imported into the UK by Geoffrey Roberts Associates.

With the level down to the neck label, I had severe doubts over whether it would still be drinkable. Still I've opened bottles of 1976 Huet moelleux that were even more ullaged, so I thought we might be lucky. So it proved – the 1976 was magically fresh, still light to mid-gold with lovely dry honey flavours and a touch of the toastiness that is a characteristic of old Hunter Semillon. All this balanced by a terrific fresh, mineral acidity. I fancy it would be impossible if tasted blind to say this was more than 30 years old. It could just about be taken for a dryish 30 year old Huet demi-sec Vouvray from Le Mont. No doubt – an Australian classic.