2024 Kaesler Old Vine Semillon, Barossa Valley

Lemony, textured and long of flavour, Kaesler's Old Vine semillon is a gem, offering a crisply focused line and an abundance of food matching options. Sleek citrus fruits with notes of white flowers, almond paste, quartz and a distant suggestion of lanolin, it is really the lemony drive that grabs you and it's so easy to drink. We should all be drinking more Barossa semillon. Drink 2024–2034.

95 points Special Value Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion, October 2024

Ultra pale lemon colour. Grapefruit pith, seaspray and crushed snow peas on the nose. Tense and tight on entry. Grippy phenolics and crunchy acidity accentuate lemon and green apple characters. Good length and bone dry at the end. Drink 2025–2034.

91 points Stuart Knox for The Real Review, January 2025

Semillon is traditional white wine variety of the Barossa Valley but rarely gets the attention the region's red varieties command. Kaesler's old vine block was planted in 1961 on the estate near Nuriootpa. The site is dry grown and hand pruned, and the vines have had more than six decades to find their depth in the sandy clay loam soils.

The 2024 vintage was warm and early. Dry conditions prevailed from winter through to spring, and bud burst was accelerated by higher than usual temperatures. A hot February also pushed harvest forward. The mature age of the vines and Kaesler’s regenerative farming practices contributed to maintaining vine health and balance through the season.

Winemaking is deliberately hands-off. Fruit is hand harvested in the cool of the morning, cold pressed straight to tank, cold settled and fermented without oak. The intention is pure varietal expression with nothing added to mask it.

Pale straw with green highlights, the nose shows crisp green apple, lemon zest, white blossom and a hint of crushed quartz. The palate is dry, vivid and precise with bright citrus, clean acidity and a savoury, mineral finish.

Semillon is a great wine at the dinner table. Food recommendations would very much depend on the age of the bottle you open. Fresh oysters with light garnishes, grilled prawns and fresh spring rolls would all love the company of a younger wine. With a bit of time in bottle, the flavours will deepen and broaden, and you might look more towards steamed or possibly grilled chicken or pork, or meatier fish like tuna or swordfish.

Drink now through 2029.