- Riverina, NSW - $20-$28
- Screwcap
- 12.0%alc
New South Wales' inland Riverina district produces several benchmark expressions of Australian botrytis semillon. Apart from the obvious selection of De Bortoli's ever popular Noble One, McWilliam's also make a Riverina sticky that's worth a look for those in search of something different.
Showing a deep, rich golden-brown colour, the 2007 Morning Light opens to an equally rich nose scented with burnt toffee, apricots and marzipan with an assertive influence of vanilla oak evident throughout. On the palate it's also very rich, forward and unctuous, with a thick, lusciously set expression of honey, ripe stonefruit and marmalade flavour that enters with conviction. However, the finish lacks classic shape and freshness, as its fairly impressive length is drawn out more by enduring burnt toffee and dried apricot notes than clean, refreshing acidity, but it still makes for a very enjoyable, luscious dessert wine to be consumed over the shorter term.
ü McWilliam's 2007 Morning Light is a good sticky but if you have the money I'd opt for the 2007 Noble One instead, or if you don't have the money I'd go for the 2006 Gramps. Both of those should be more commonplace than this wine as well. Drink to 2012.
90 points
Glad I've found this post again. I popped into a 1st choice on the way home and was surprised to come across all three referred side-by-side. Sticky is not everyone's choice but there's generally a bottle always laying around mine.
ReplyDeleteCheers for bring the Gramps and McWilliams to my attention.
Cheers for the comment Stu.
ReplyDeleteI myself don't normally consume too many bottles of sticky (although I'm regularly drinking glasses after restaurant meals) but I did actually consume a bottle of Noble One only a few days prior to this note, as well as a bottle of Gramps only a few weeks previous, which I felt made it easier for me to draw some comparison. For its price ($15?), the 2006 Gramps is a bit of a blinder that you can't go far wrong with in my opinion.
Cheers,
Chris P