Thomas Wines Braemore Semillon 2012

Thomas Wines Braemore Semillon 2012 (Hunter Valley, NSW)
10.5%, Screwcap, $28
Source: Sample
www.thomaswines.com.au

Sourced from Ken Bray's famous Hermitage Rd vineyard, of which Andrew Thomas gets first dibs (lucky man), this is typically one of the finest young Semillons in the Hunter, able to show well both in its first 18 months and as a 5yr old+ mature release.

I've had this 2012 Braemore 3 times now and each time it looks better. There is still a hint of the green papaya and lettuce of the cool vintage, but the fleshiness through the middle rather cancels that out.

In fact you'd almost call it quite playful, the textural fullness quite unexpected. As you'd expect of the vintage its briskly acidic though that just contributes to the seriously smart length, a length of flavour and intensity that marks this as a quality wine.

I'm scoring this a little conservatively in the Braemore context, largely as I see the best years some time off yet (much like the 08s have taken longer to come around). Worth sticking some in the cellar methinks.

Drink: 2018-2027+
Score: 18.2/20 93/100+
Would I buy it? Yes, but straight to the cellar it would go.