Berton, Reserve Botrytis Semillon 2019 Riverina

Tasted from a 3-cl mini sample bottle. Presented by winemaker James Ceccato. 45-year-old Sémillon vines on clay loam, at 129 m. More difficult now to get good botrytis, but they’re still getting infections in most years. They pick end of May, soak the fruit overnight in a bag press and then clarify and filter before fermentation. Once half the sugar has been converted to alcohol, they stop the fermentation by chilling to 3 °C. Aged for 12 months in French oak. TA 10.84 g/l, pH 3.26, RS 116.2 g/l. Screwcap.
Mango syrup and ginger tea. Voluptuous fruit but under a restraining smoky haze. Apricot-syrup-drenched brioche nuttiness. The acidity provides the wine with a backbone that I couldn’t find in the De Bortoli Noble One, and I must say that I prefer it. The finish is more refined and the wine carries its own weight. Fragrant oolong-tea notes on the end. (TC)