Mount Horrocks Watervale Semillon Reviews

Australian

Mount Horrocks Semillon 2019

“…Toole is comfortably among the very finest producers of the variety anywhere in the world…”

Clare Valley semillon could ask for no better ally and advocate than Stephanie Toole. Semillon sits front and centre in the exceptionally strong line-up of wines Toole makes under the Mount Horrocks label; its production, while small (only 150 cases), is equal to that of her much vaunted riesling.

Toole says careful site selection and a controlling hand on vineyard yield are key to getting the best results, as well as close attention through fermentation and maturation in topflight French oak. The result is a wine of wax and pith, and hints of flint, showing some fine fleshiness upfront before compressing beautifully through a tight, talcy finish. This current release suggests, and tasting an incredibly consistent and engaging line-up of her semillons back to 2000 proves, Toole is comfortably among the very finest producers of the variety anywhere in the world.

By Nick Ryan

The Australian

14^th September 2020

The Real Review

Mount Horrocks Semillon 2019

92 Points

Good Clare Valley semillon is an underrated white wine. It has a long history, and the region did some pioneering work with oak influence in these white wines long before it became commonplace. Oak can sometimes overwhelm fruit character, but at Mount Horrocks, Stephanie Toole handles it sensitively, creating a great combination of zesty fruit aromas and more complex threads.

In her 2019, aromas of lemongrass, citrus zest, herbs and honey have cashewy richness and spice imparted by subtle barrel influence. It has a fleshy middle, seamless flow, and a hint of candied melon on its persistent, dry finish.

By Ralph Kyte-Powell

The Real Review – Cellar Talk

17^th September 2020

Halliday Wine Companion 2021

Mount Horrocks Semillon 2019

94 Points

A warmer vintage to be sure, what this lacks in way of linearity and precision, it gains in terms of amplitude and aromatic complexity: lemon oil and hedgerow segue to ripe quince, all offset by an intoxicating skein of fennel. Almost pastis-like. Nestled seams of oak service the textural opus. Delicious and light years from the tensile Hunter expression. Best not drunk too cold.

By Ned Goodwin

1st August 2020

2021 Halliday Wine Companion

WBM Magazine

Mount Horrocks Semillon 2018

By Tyson Stelzer

93 Points

The late, cool 2018 season has birthed a particularly refined Mount Horrocks Semillon, charged with the precision of preserved lemon grass and blessed with the toasty complexity of barrel fermentation and maturation. Its cool, high altitude acid drive is more electric than ever, beckoning a long and exciting future.

WBM Magazine

November/December 2019

Halliday Wine Companion 2020

2018 Mount Horrocks Semillon

95 Points

Hand-picked, crushed and destemmed, fermented in French barriques (40% new), matured on lees for 8 months. A small make (297 dozen) but a good one. The oak is 100% balanced and integrated, leaving the lemony/juicy fruit free to express itself, and it does just that.

Sunday Telegraph

2017 Mount Horrocks  Watervale Semillon

By John Fordham

Unlike non-oaked bobby-dazzlers from the Hunter Valley, Clare Valley semillons are of a different dimension, selecting oak to enhance flavour which, in this case, has led to an attractive savoury, citrus-enriched result. Pristine Clare Valley fruit and smart tinkering from Stephanie Toole deliver five-star enjoyment.

Sunday Telegraph
19^th October 2018

Halliday Wine Companion 2019

2017 Mount Horrocks Semillon

95 Points

By Campbell Mattinson

Crisp and textural at once. The focus is acute. Lemon curd, citrus, cedar spice and a whisper of herbs. Beautiful wine, for now or for later.

James Halliday Wine Companion 2019

Australian Gourmet Traveller WINE

2016 Mount Horrocks Semillon, Clare Valley

By Huon Hooke

92 Points

This is an excellent young Semillon which emphasises ripe floral aromas combined with subtle use of nutty oak, and no hint of grassiness. The wine is alive and intense in the mouth with a finish of lemon zest and fresh flowers. One of Stephanie Toole’s best yet.

Gourmet Traveller WINE Oct/Nov 2017

Sunday Telegraph

2016 Semillon

By John Fordham

Striking 100 percent barrel-fermented Clare Valley Semillon that points to winemaker Stephanie Toole’s skillful handling of the variety. Zesty citrus characters weave their way through a riveting palate journey, with an abundance of crisp, textured and creamy flavours in the wings.

Sunday Telegraph 16^th July 2017

The Advertiser

2016 Mount Horrocks Semillon, Clare Valley

By Tony Love

Five Stars

In a league of its own, this is semillon on steroids (in a truly great way), barrel-fermented in 40 per cent new oak that shows in its faintly smoky/charry nose yet never dominating the citrus zest and lemon curd fruit. Once you dwell further, there’s more than just that – stone fruits for sure, with a floral notes too, like the waft of field grasses and wheat. It’s a serious wine drinker’s sophisticated white, totally engaging and ultimately delicious.

The Advertiser
11^th October 2017

James Halliday Wine Companion 2018

Semillon 2016

95 Points

It is barrel -fermented, yet the oak is under tight control, acting as a framework for the fruit, which remains centre stage, zesty and tangy, but with lemon curd joining the lemon citrus fruit of the long lingering finish. 

By James Halliday

Australian & New Zealand Wines of the Year 2017

Mount Horrocks Clare Valley Semillon 2015

By Tyson Stelzer

95 Points

The ninth vintage from the Alexander vineyard in the north-east corner of Watervale, as always it’s 100% barrel fermented, matured and lees stirred in 40% new oak for eight months. You’d never guess the oak or maturation regime from its pale straw hue or its fragrant apple and lemon blossom bouquet. Even the palate possesses a tension and purity that belie its structural complexity. This is the classiest, purest and most thrilling semillon I can recall from Stephanie, with an endurance to rival the great whites of Bordeaux.

Drink 2020-2030

June 2017