Winery established by Australia's N# 1 critic
Wine Companion Five Star Winery

94/100 James Halliday (2016 Vintage)

The Winemaker "Some melon and beeswax notes from the Semillon to go with the herbal/tropical Sauvignon Blanc. Citrus flavours on the palate and a zesty finish" (2016 vintage)

The 26th vintage of this famous blend. This wine is a blend of 51% Sauvignon Blanc and 49% Semillon. Three regions make up the blend being Cowra 89%, Orange 6% and Hunter Valley 5%. This wine also highlights Brokenwood's desire here for lower alcohol and weighs in at 11.5% and with plenty of zesty fruit lift.

James Halliday "A deservedly fashionable winery producing consistently 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 '78 and has been working to totally rehabilitate the vineyard over the ensuing decades. It's been a vine by vine exercise, with a degree of experimentation of rootstocks and clonal material from other, even older vineyards. Next, there is a range of wines coming from regions including Beechworth (a major resource is the associated 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 diverse business, and an unerring ability to keep Brokenwood's high profile fresh and newsworthy. He has also contributed a great deal to various wine industry organisations."

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.

Sauvignon Blanc – Semillon is a classic white wine blend. It is most widely produced in France, most notably Bordeaux's Graves district, where both Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are well-established varieties. It also has more recently caught on in Australia, particularly Margaret River. The versatile blend is typically made into crisp, dry wines, but it is also the blend of choice for the world's most prestigious sweet wine style, Sauternes. The blend is endowed with vibrant acidity and grassy aromas by Sauvignon Blanc, and its structure and mouthfeel from Semillon. This blend is a modern, simplified version of the classic White Bordeaux Blend, in which Muscadelle, Sauvignon Gris, Ugni Blanc, Colombard and Merlot Blanc may be added to the mix.