The Butler Crest range is under the same umbrella as Night Harvest and Table Talk wines. All of which are pretty much managed by Andy Ferreira the viticulturist with contract winemaker Bruce Dukes making the wines. The Butler Crest vineyard is located in Wilyabrup, a very reputable grape growing area of Margaret River. The first wines were produced in 2005.
First up I have to say, I can not remember having a straight Semillon from Margaret River so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I have only seen it blended with Sauvignon Blanc and they are a great combination from that area.
The thing with this wine was, when I first tasted it, I was a bit confused. It had the pale colour of ‘young’ Semillon, but with the zip and acidity of a Riesling, melon and dryness of a Chardonnay, a slight Viognier oiliness and (my wife thought) a bit grassy like Sauvignon Blanc. It seeemed a bit all over the place and, like many 5 year olds, I think it wanted to be all manner of things when it grew up.
I tried it again two days later and, it was a totally different story. Things had settled down considerably and it started to exhibit a hint of the Semillon characters I have come to enjoy. The acidity and dryness had disappeared and it was rounder, more together I suppose and it had a bit of length to it too. I was certainly a lot happier drinking it this time around. Maybe it does want to grow up to be a mature Semillon and I regret not affording it that opportunity.
It is available online at the Butler Crest website for $24.95 which is pretty good value considering it is already 5 years of age and with a few more years left in it to grow up to be a very nice, mature Semillon.
This wine was part of a mixed box of Semillon I bought leftover from the Royal Hobart International Wine Show.
Words from a Wine Glass 