2018 Early Form: Australia’s Top 20 Sem Sauv Blancs
Vinloco’s survey of this year’s 40,000-odd wine show scores has just passed the half-way mark.
With it comes some early observations about strong contenders for the “best of” lists we’ll produce at the end of the year.
One class that has almost run its race for the year is semillon sauvignon blanc. SSB’s stronghold is in Western Australia where the state’s two major shows have now reported along with every other capital city show bar one.
SSB’s fresh, unoaked style has suffered markedly over the years at the hands of NZ sauvignon blanc and, more lately, the rise and rise of rose. Maybe that’s behind the marked drop in wine show entries this year. Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blend exhibits account for only 295 entries across the 31 shows we’ve surveyed so far. That compares with 383 last year on a like-for-like basis – a 22 per cent fall in entries.
SSB exhibits aren’t just down on numbers. They’re down in quality, too. Average scores for the class are down a full point on last year’s 85-point average – the threshold for a bronze medal.
Still, it’s not all bad. SSB exhibits picked up trophies for the the best dry white blend at both the Perth and Sydney Royal shows – showing perhaps more serious Rhone blends who’s still boss of the white variety combos in Australia.
There’s still a long way to go as the show season wraps up towards the end of November. But, in the meantime, here is our interim list of the Top 20 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends this season:
| 1 | Xanadu DJL Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2018 |
| 2 | Hamelin Bay Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2017 |
| 3 | Deep Woods Estate Ivory Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2018 |
| 4 | Miles From Nowhere Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2018 |
| 5 | Hamelin Bay Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2018 |
| 6 | Clairault Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2017 |
| 7 | Driftwood Estate Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2017 |
| 8 | Willow Bridge Dragonfly Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2018 |
| 9 | Rosily Vineyard Semillon / Sauvignon Blanc 2018 |
| 10 | Brookland Valley Verse 1 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2017 |
| 11 | Harewood Estate Reserve Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc 2017 |
| 11 | Accolade Wines Amberley Secret Lane Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc 2018 |
| 13 | Chapman Grove Wines The Lone Quince 1925 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2017 |
| 14 | Xanadu Exmoor Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2018 |
| 15 | Cellarmaster Wines Cormack & Co Steadfast Margaret River Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2017 |
| 16 | Alkoomi White Label Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2018 |
| 17 | Watershed Premium Wines Shades Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2017 |
| 18 | ALDI Australia A.C Byrne & Co. Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2018 |
| 19 | The Skipworth Wine Company Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2017 |
| 20 | Pepper Tree Wines Hunter Valley Orange Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2018 |