Thomas Hillskog

9.0

Still fresh and fruity with with typical, complex maturity flavours. — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.4

“Ygrec” is basically a flip of the standard d’Yquem; typically somewhere around 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon. Traditionally, this dry version has only made in select vintages and the vines for Ygrec are selected prior to harvest and vary from vintage to vintage, typically before nobel rot takes place.

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of 90 minutes. The 2018 pours a bright straw color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing powerful notes of grapefruit, orange, Juicy Fruit, some varnish, fine subtle baking spices and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. An exciting Bordeaux Blanc that sizzles with energy and class. Absolutely baller stuff. Drink now through 2038. — 2 months ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.3

Brilliant sunshot yellow with bright lemon custard cream notes… 11% abv silky smoothen round weightless palate of lemon curd, honey, and lanolin. Rich, round, and woolly. God, I love aged Hunter Valley Semillon. All smiles for a Sunshine Coast Italian lunch. G’day from 85 degree Australia. — 4 months ago

Shay A

9.4

Last bottles from a 6-pack. I had two bottles that were sadly riddled with EA, but the other four were sound.

This was one of the wines I served for my annual WWC hosting. All wines served blind.

65 semillon/ 34 Sauvignon Blanc/ 1 Muscadelle

Always love these, more so than most domestic Bordeaux Blanc style white wines, mostly because of the texture. Straw color in the glass. Quite the tropical aromatics (white peach, mango) but it’s not overpowering. The barrel ferment is apparent with the rounded profile on the palate…the vein of acidity that was there a few years ago is fading, so this showed even more opulent than normal. Honeyed lemon, guava, orange blossom but a backbone of sea salt and herbs snap the structure in place to show nice balance and a nod to Bordeaux. I’d recommend popping now and over the next couple years to enjoy the freshness. — 4 hours ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Tyrrell’s — Vat 1 Semillon 2018
Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia 🇦🇺

Overview
A benchmark, 100% Semillon from one of Australia’s most historic producers, crafted from old vines in the Hunter Valley, a region globally revered for producing age-worthy, low-alcohol, high-acid Semillon of extraordinary precision and longevity. This cuvée captures purity, tension, and evolution in perfect balance, expressing both site transparency and classic Tyrrell’s restraint.

Aromas & Flavors
Lifted citrus blossom, lemon curd, kaffir lime, and delicate white florals lead the aromatics. Subtle layers of green apple skin, preserved lemon, and faint tropical notes emerge with air. Underneath, a gentle mineral thread, wet stone and crushed river rock, adds depth and quiet complexity without overpowering the fruit.

Mouthfeel
Silky, finely textured, and beautifully tension-driven. Creamy without weight, with linear acidity carrying the wine effortlessly across the palate. The structure feels energetic and precise, offering freshness, elegance, and remarkable drinkability without richness or heaviness.

Food Pairings
Oysters with citrus mignonette. Grilled prawns with lemon butter. Poached halibut with herbs. Sushi and sashimi. Fresh chèvre or lightly aged goat cheese.

Verdict
An exceptional example of New World Semillon executed with Old World discipline. Elegant, mineral-driven, and quietly powerful, this wine delivers layered complexity while remaining feather-light on its feet. A timeless style that continues to reward both immediate pleasure and long-term cellaring.

Did You Know?
Hunter Valley Semillon is famous for being bottled young at low alcohol and evolving dramatically with age, developing toast, honey, and lanolin complexity over decades while maintaining razor-sharp acidity. Tyrrell’s Vat Semillon wines have been among Australia’s most collectible and ageworthy whites for generations.

🍷 Personal Pick
Pure nostalgia in a glass. This wine reconnects me with the region that sparked my early love for Australian whites, refined, disciplined, expressive, and endlessly drinkable. A masterclass in tension, restraint, and terroir clarity. This is Semillon at its highest form. — 4 months ago

Ross Bathgate

9.3

Paired with duck and absolutely perfect. So soft with sweet fruit still evident and such soft dusty tannins. Lovely. — 5 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.3

vintage 2021 | 65 sauvignon 35 semillon | Refinement, very precise, lemon (no sauvignon domination) | paired with ray wing | at Bitterpeeën in Antwerpen — a month ago

Matthew Doty

8.9

2023 vintage via a Costco CA sample-4-pack. Fine, but wouldn’t buy again. Too fruity for me. — 3 months ago

Jeremiah Diaz

9.4

Clear, medium ruby in color; on the nose, it's clean with pronounced intensity primary and secondary aromas of black cherries, red plums, raspberries, and dried herbs; on the palate, it's dry with high acidity, high tannins, medium alcohol, full body, and pronounced intensity primary and secondary flavors of red currants, cherries, blueberries, black currant, and clay pots with a long finish. This wine is complex and intense. Overall, I rate this wine as very good. — 3 months ago

with Nellie

Audrey Irvine

10

Sipped at lunch with Zondwa and Lindo Mandela at The Nines restaurant in Capetown South Africa — 5 months ago