The 2018 Glenguin Vineyard Semillon can be purchased via our Online Cellar Door now.
2018 will be a vintage remembered for it’s stark lack of rain. The normal pre-harvest January rains never came and the fruit was able to fully ripen and come to the winery in pristine condition.
A number of new techniques were undertaken in the vineyard during the season, the most dramatic of which saw us not trim the vines on the western face of the Semillon rows, whilst keeping the eastern sides neat. This was done with a very specific purpose in mind – to protect the bunches from the mid-January, 3pm Hunter sun that in previous vintages has led to sunburn on the berries and a relatively high percentage of fruit left on the vine. This effect was punctuated in the 2017 vintage by strings of days above 40 degrees celsius.
Whilst 2018 did not have those extremes of heat, there were a not insignificant number of individual days above 40 degrees, but by supporting the vine with careful canopy management we were able to get sunburn down to a manageable level. Coupled with very low disease pressure led to high quality fruit which has translated to a very high quality Semillon in the bottle.
This wine is unmistakably Hunter Valley Semillon. Crisp, natural acidity complemented by lemon-lime citrus aromas and flavours, and structure that should see the wine have a long life indeed. Very similar to the classic 2014 Glenguin Vineyard Semillon – a wine that four years on is still showing remarkable freshness and poise.
When it comes to pairing Semillon with food, the classic match is seafood – and for very good reason. The high acidity is a perfect partner to sweet flesh of scallops, lobster, crab and many different types of white-fleshed fish. Oysters can work particularly well.
Our Cellar Door Manager, Phil, fancies himself as a bit of a novice cook, so when tasked with finding a dish to compliment this Semillon he didn’t hesitate in going straight underwater and an iconic Australian fish in freshwater barramundi. Alongside a crisp potato rosti, asparagus and a lemon dill sauce this quick and easy dish matches the crisp acidity of the Semillon. But don’t take our word for it, try the recipe below and let us know what you think!
Pan fried Barramundi with lemon & dill sauce (makes 2 serves)
Ingredients
- 2 150 gram Barramundi fillets, skin on
- 1 large potato
- 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed
- 150 mls cooking cream
- 100 mls of white wine (Semillon works best)
- 1/2 lemon, sliced into rounds
- 1 French shallot, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
Method
To make the sauce, place the cream, shallots and lemon slices into a cold small saucepan, bring up to a medium heat (without boiling). Once up to temperature, add the wine and gently simmer for a few minutes.
Strain the sauce in a fine sieve and return the strained sauce to the saucepan. Add the dill, simmer on a low heat for a couple of minutes. Check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as necessary. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
To make the potato rosti, peel the potato and finely grate. Season with a pinch of salt, then squeeze out the water from the potato so that its almost dry. Form two pattys with the potato
Heat a tablespoon of canola oil in a small frying pan on a medium-high heat. Place each patty in the pan and cook for a couple of minutes on each side until a golden crust has formed. Remove from the heat until plating.
Blanch or steam the asparagus until it is tender, yet still firm.
For the fish, heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan on a medium heat. Score the skin of the barramundi and season with salt on both sides. Place the fish in the pan, skin side down and gently press the flesh to prevent curling.
Turn down heat to a low heat. Cook for two minutes until the skin is crispy, then flip to the flesh side.
Add a knob of butter to the pan, basting the skin side in the melted butter during cooking. Cook for a further minute to two minutes until the fish is cooked.
To plate, drizzle with a spoon two circles of the lemon dill sauce around the plate. Place the potato rosti along the sauce, add the asparagus and top with the barramundi, skin side up. Drizzle more of the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.
The 2018 Glenguin Vineyard Semillon is available from our Online Cellar Door now.
