2016 Peter Lehmann Margaret Semillon

96 POINTS

Dave Brookes - Halliday's Wine Companion

2016 was a warm, low-yielding year, but this wine is showing beautifully as always. It sits pale straw in the glass, incredibly still sporting a slight green tinge, with characters of drying hay overlaying pithy lemon fruits with hints of clotted cream, white flowers, washed rind cheese, crushed stone, lemon curd, beeswax, nougat and a light wash of stone fruit. Long, endlessly complex and gorgeous drinking, the Margaret semillon is consistently one of the finest examples of the variety in the land.

95 POINTS

James Suckling

This has a complex nose of waxed lemons, dried pineapples, salted limes, dried jasmine and some honey. It’s compact with excellent depth and vibrancy. Medium body. Delicious beeswax notes on a long, waxy finish. From 100-year-old vines in Vinevale. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

93 POINTS

Nicole Bilson - winepilot.com

Released with five years of bottle age, it’s a real treat to be able to buy semillon without needing the willpower to cellar for the full experience. Part of the Master’s range, Margaret was Peter Lehmann’s wife, a highly educated and influential woman – a real class act, just like her namesake. The wine has aromas of apple skin, preserved lemons, and honeycomb straight from the hive – with that ethereal beeswax note – atop toasted brioche. It’s incredibly expressive and surprisingly textural on the palate (given that it is only 11% alcohol) with fresher fruit characters of lemon and crisp green pear slices. The grapes come from old vines, picked early to retain acidity, allowing for a long and graceful aging window.

92 POINTS

Jeremy Oliver

Beginning to reveal a hint of toasty and honeyed development, this remains a rather primary and youthful semillon whose fine length of delicate melon and lemon-like fruit overlies a pleasing fine chalkiness and is wrapped in a refreshing lemony acidity.

90 POINTS

Kasia Sobiesiak - The Wine Front

Developing bouquet with candle wax, pine resin, brown lemons, quite intense. It’s salty-sour with white pepper spice, only 11% alcohol but you can feel a gentle warmth in your throat. Bitter finish. All falls into place.