Glassware

Not all glasses are created equal. A slender, upright glass with a narrow opening suits young Semillon far better than any wide-bowled goblet. The variety is delicate, almost introverted. Too wide a glass scatters the few aromas it has in its youth: lemon, grass, a hint of wet chalk — which is why a clear, uncolored glass belongs here too, since even after years the wine's color stays pale, almost as it was on day one.

As the wine ages, the glass's job changes. A ten-year-old Semillon from Mount Pleasant suddenly brings toast, honey, and lanolin. Here the opening may widen a touch, giving these heavier aromas room to rise.

Temperature depends on age as well. A young Tyrrell's Semillon should go into the glass well chilled, around eight to ten degrees Celsius, or its high acidity turns shrill. The aged wine can handle twelve degrees and more; any colder would freeze out the toasty notes it's only just developed.

Shiraz from the valley needs the opposite: a rounder, wider-bowled glass that lets air reach the wine, served at sixteen to eighteen degrees. Given the already mild tannins of this cooler growing region, serving it too cold strips the Shiraz of exactly the fruit that sets it apart from its South Australian cousins.

One final rule applies equally to both wines: never fill the glass to the brim. A glass filled only to its widest point gives the aroma the space it needs to rise. With a twenty-year-old Semillon, that's often the most interesting part of the entire evening.