In the 1960s Semillon was very popular and widely planted in Chile, but with the rise of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc in more recent years the vines have been ripped up and replaced, leaving only a few thousand hecatres remaining. As such we were thrilled when this Semillon was part of the Chilean 2022 vintage tasting - and it was such a standout wine that we bought the full parcel there and then. It comes from rare, low-yielding and intensely flavoured 80-year-old vines from Apalta, within the Colchagua Valley, nestled in the Chilean Coastal Range. The wine is fresh and aromatic, with some mid-palate weight and plenty of lemon barley fruitiness which lingers on the finish.