2016 Silkman Semillon Hunter Valley Australia 750 ml

The Weight of Chablis, The Opulence of Oz

“Occasionally a star is born and you get to watch; Silkman is one such,” said eminent Australian critic James Halliday. Silkman, located in the Hunter Valley, wasted no time climbing the ladder to greatness: After just three vintages, Halliday named Silkman one of the Top 10 Wineries Down Under. Husband-and-wife Shaun and Liz Silkman specialize in Semillon—the lemony, herbal, and minerally white variety that Bordelaise blend with Sauvignon Blanc. But these Aussies have embraced and elevated it as one of their mainstays.

Silkman is one of Halliday’s five-star producers, and their 2016 Semillon earned 95 points from the revered critic. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate added high praise, calling it “silky,” “light-bodied yet plump,” and saying that “for a young Semillon,” the age-worthy white is “remarkably appealing.” This is a wine with the weight of Chablis, bolstered by crisp minerality and lively acidity making it nimble and ready for a decade-long stint in the cellar. If you like unoaked, energetic, and herbal whites like Sauvignon Blanc and dry Riesling, do not miss out on this. $19.99 per bottle on 8 or more with shipping included on just 6.

Perhaps it took a pair of born-and-bred locals to bring out the best in Australia’s Hunter Valley. The Silkman’s have unmatched experience in the region, both making wine and managing wineries for more than a decade. For their day jobs, they work at Shaun’s father’s First Creek Wines: Liz as the estate’s winemaker—a role for which she earned Hunter Valley “Winemaker of the Year” honors in 2011—and Shaun as production manager. The duo launched their own label, Silkman, in 2013, focusing on the distinct old-vine sites around the Hunter Valley.

The relationship between Semillon and Hunter Valley is symbiotic: The region’s warm and humid climate, sandy soils, and cloud-suppressed sunlight hours are perfect for the grape. The variety’s ability to develop intense flavors with low alcohol, and high natural acidity are perfectly suited to the Valley.

Together, the Aussies have the kind of alchemic terroir-and-grape combinations that result in the world’s truly transcendent wines. The Wine Access clients who claimed our last allocation of Silkman Semillon have been waiting for its return. Here’s hoping there’s enough for them, and for some new converts. This wine is fantastic now and it’s built to last—buy by the case and watch as it grows up.