Nice to be able to try these two Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillons side by side. As many of you know, Semillon is the speciality of Australia’s Hunter Valley wine region. Despite the fact that this is a hot region, Semillon grown here makes very fresh, low alcohol, pure citrussy wines that age beautifully. Elizabeth, from Mount Pleasant, is a consistent and affordable example of this style, and these two vintages – six years apart – are both being poured together at All Bar One venues through August.

Henry Boyes, wine buyer for All Bar One (and other Mitchells & Butler outlets) has this to say:

“The Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon is hopefully a great fit on both parts: it is certainly a style of wine that we feel will be loved by many of our guests and we are really looking forward to showcasing it across All Bar One in August.  What’s more, the fact that we are able to show guests the current release as well as the older 2007 vintage is something that is very exciting – not only is this a great way to show how top quality wines can age and develop, but it also underlines our desire to encourage our guests to discover something new and try something a little different.”

Here are my notes:

Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2013 Hunter Valley, Australia
11% alcohol. Pale, fresh, pithy and bright on the nose with nice lemony fruit. The palate is pristine with lemon and grapefruit. Pure and appealing. 90/100 (£13.99 Slurp)

Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2007 Hunter Valley, Australia
11% alcohol. Highly aromatic nose is toasty and citrussy. Quite intense and full with some lime oil notes. The palate is powerful, vivid and citrussy with a bit of spiciness, and nice pear and peach notes. Lively and intense with bold flavours – developing nicely. 93/100 (£14.95 Slurp, £17.80 Hedonism Wines)

Find these wines with wine-searcher.com