Brokenwood Late Picked Semillon 2022 ~ Hunter Valley, NSW , Australia

91/100 The Wine Front (2021 vintage)
5 Stars - James Halliday

The Winemaker "Brokenwood has quite a history of Late Picked styles starting in 1983 and we have used Semillon, Gewurztraminer from the Hunter and Riesling from McLaren Vale. The fruit is allowed to get a bit riper and then the fermentation stopped when there was a perfect balance between acid, sugar and alcohol."

James Halliday "Brokenwood consistently produces excellent wines. Its big-selling Hunter Semillon provides the volume to balance the limited quantities of the flagships ILR Semillon and Graveyard Shiraz. Brokenwood purchased the Graveyard Vineyard from Hungerford Hill in 1978 and has fully rehabilitated the vineyard in a vine-by-vine exercise. There is also a range of wines coming from regions including Beechworth (a major resource is the Indigo Vineyard), Orange, Central Ranges, McLaren Vale, Cowra and elsewhere. In 2017 Iain Riggs celebrated his 35th vintage at the helm of Brokenwood, offering a unique mix of winemaking skills, management of a diverse business and an unerring ability to keep Brokenwood’s high profile fresh and newsworthy. He also contributed a great deal to various wine industry organisations. In May 2020 Iain announced his retirement, effective 30 June ’20, but he remains on the board of directors and consults on any issue where his experience will assist. Exports to all major markets."

Established in 1970 Brokenwood Wines is one of Australia's most reputable premium wine labels and a must-visit in the Hunter Valley. It was established by Australia's leading wine critic, James Halliday. Consistently listed as a 5-star winery, Brokenwood is home to the famous Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, the highly acclaimed ILR Reserve Semillon, and the popular Cricket Pitch Range.

The Hunter Valley is the best-known and most highly prized wine region in New South Wales. It is known as the region where the Australian wine industry started. The valley's winemakers have pioneered two distinctive styles of wine (oaked Chardonnay and dry Semillon) and has retained a strong connection with both of them. The Hunter Valley's most famous wine style is its distinctive dry Semillon, made there since the 1870s. Hunter Valley Semillons are renowned for their ability to improve with age.

Sémillon is one of the wine world's unsung heroes. The gold-skinned grape produces France's most famous and revered sweet wines, notably Sauternes, and some of the greatest dry white wines of Australia - particulary those in the Hunter Valley.