Vibrant in colour with a beautiful hints of green. Vibrant aromas of lemon grass, lemon basil and pear aromas. Mouth filling flavors of fresh green lime and pineapple sorbet that accentuates a zesty acid backbone. The citrus note linger on the palate. A wonderfully classic Hunter Valley Semillon to enjoy now or age gracefully.

A benchmark Australian winery founded in 1970 by Sydney trio Tony Albert, John Beeston and Australia’s leading wine critic, James Halliday, Brokenwood evolved from a weekend venture for these self-professed hobby winemakers into one of Australia’s most reputable wine labels. These enthusiastic partners knew little about viticulture, thus the early vintages were a labor of love for them and the family and friends they roped in to help. In spite of this, the distinct reds received praise from the earliest vintages, and in 1982, the company extended its range to include the jewel of the Hunter Valley, Semillon. Nearly 40 years later, Brokenwood is known for producing some of Australia’s most long-lived Semillons, and one of the nation’s most iconic single vineyard wines, the Graveyard Shiraz, which Australia’s leading auction house, Langton’s, lists among the top twenty-five in the country.

Semillon is the traditional, premium white grape of New South Wales’ Hunter Valley. This extremely versatile grape variety is typically harvested at a low brix in the Hunter, highlighting its fresh citrus and green apple notes and vibrant acidity. It can be enjoyed young in this style, or with substantial bottle maturation, showing attractive creamed honey and toasty notes when aged for 10 to 20 years.

The fruit was hand harvested, crushed, chilled and pressed immediately. Neutral yeasts were used for the fermentation to preserve the fresh fruit flavors and avoid phenolics. Bottled in May. No oak and no malolactic ferment, only stainless steel to retain the crisp acidity.

Hunter Valley Semillons can certainly be enjoyed in their youth but with 10 to 20 years in the cellar, the best examples develop intriguing notes of honey, browned butter and roasted nuts.