94 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2024 Woodcutter's Semillon is from a spectacular year in South Australia. It was warm and dry and everything good—"Goldilocks," in the words of winemaker Ian Hongell. On the back of the wet 2023 season, the soils were charged with moisture, and the growing year proceeded with calm and health. Everyone I met with so far, from both Barossa and McLaren Vale, has stars in their eyes about this vintage. Here, the wine leads with fresh-cut straw, lemon pith, green apple skin and white flowers. The wine is sleek on the palate; the phenolics are chalky and kick in through the middle palate and finish, but it remains a tightly focused, streamlined wine. I like the focus and detail here; the wine shows length and precision, but it has very little width and breadth, which are attributes in Barossa Semillon.
93 Points james Suckling
Vibrant and fresh, with aromas of white nectarines, peaches and lemon pith. The palate is medium-bodied with focused acidity and a generous mouthfeel, giving notes of lime zest, chalk and mandarin rind. Easygoing with a nice texture.
Winemaker Notes
The lead up to the 2024 harvest saw timely spring rainfall and calm conditions for flowering and fruit set. A mild to warm summer was idyllic, propelling even growth and fruit development. A warm early summer brought on shiraz showing bright colours and fragrance, persisting for several weeks accelerating to powerful dark fruit and fragrantly spiced characteristics. A cooler break mid-April allowed grenache and mataro vineyards to develop deep colours and firm tannins. With harvest concluding on the 19th of April, we are extremely pleased with the strength and diversity of wines made from the 2024 season.
