2024 Estate Semillon
Marking our 10 year milestone in the vineyard, this new Estate trio draws upon 70 year old blocks in which fruit quality has increase significantly thanks to increased experience and viticultural focus. A layered and intense expression of Semillon, with waxy notes alongside fresh citrus ad briny oyster shell. Complex and savoury on the palate, the wine achieves depth and texture with the strength of fruit perfectly offset by the barrel influence.
Estate grown and made
Certified organic and biodynamic fruit
[VARIETIES] 100% Semillon
[ALC] 12%
[PRODUCTION] 50 dozen
[CELLARING] Enjoy now or up to 10 years in the cellar
If you have the time or the inclination, listen to Shanteh Wale’s Over a Glass podcast interview with Alkina’s GM and Winemaker, Amelia Nolan. It’s worth your time. Nolan, and this Alkina endeavour, are both worth their weight in gold.
It’s taken me about 20 years to form this realisation but – Barossa semillon, in the right hands, can be a great thing, and is widely under-appreciated. This wine comes off a 70-year-old vineyard, was farmed organically/biodynamically, and only 50 dozen were produced. It’s mostly all concrete at Alkina, there’s very little wood, but this wine did see the inside of a (seasoned) puncheon.
This wine is citrussy, gently textural, salty, has some crushed-shell characters, and is beautifully long through the finish. You’re probably best to tuck this away for 3-4 years prior to drinking it but, then, it’s a joyous experience to tuck into a couple of glasses of this even now, as I can personally attest. It’s as clean as it is characterful. It has something.
94 Points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
The premier release of this wine is made from vines in planted in the 1950s, which brings depth and complexity. Aromas of lemon myrtle, beeswax, oyster shells, olive brine and honeysuckle. The palate is medium- bodied with a rounded mouthfeel, a slight phenolic grip and flavors of yellow apples, grapefruit pith and salted nuts with a mouthwatering mineral edge. Well balanced. Drink or hold.
94 Points, Ryan Montgomery, jamessuckling.com
This beautifully pitched 2024 Sémillon Estate draws you in with its nutty lift and multi-layered hay, chamomile and preserved lemon aromas. Its impressive volume of flavor is nicely punctuated with mouth-watering acidity, which delivers a strong, sustained finish. The 2024 is young but has plenty of potential.
93 Points, Angus Hughson, Vinous
