Barambah Rack Dried Semillon 2009

Deep golden and orange like appearance, there are plenty of kerosene, concentrated honey and dried apricot characters hitting the air. The honey and apricot flowed onto a rich palate with that dried apricot really kicking through the wine. Some acid added zip with the syrupy texture gliding down the hatch nicely.

A few years age has brought the wine together and the textural elements made the match with a bitter chocolate tart perfect.

But what is rack drying I hear you ask? Bunches are laid out on racks to dry out and concentrate the fruit flavours. As stated on the website: This wine - from an outstanding 2009 vintage was made from portions of rack and vine-dried semillon grapes. Using the Italian passito method, the grapes were re-fermented with dry semillon wine and aged in French barriques.

Winemaker Peter Scudamore-Smith informs me that the Barambah winemaking approach will change its focus in coming years. Currently a variety of table wines are made along with this Rack Dried Semillon, the focus in coming years to be Rack Dried Semillon and Rack Dried Shiraz (which has similarities to Amarone). The first release of the Rack Dried Shiraz to be the 2012 vintage and won't be available for a few years yet.

This 2009 Rack Dried Semillon is out of stock but I'm also reliably informed the 2010 is better again.

Who: Barambah Wines
What: Semillon
Where: South Burnett, Queensland
When: 2009
How: $29

http://www.barambah.com.au/