Halliday Wine Companion Best Varietal Winners - 2021 Best Semillon wines

Decanter World Wine Awards "2010 ended with an average rainfall of 900mm, yet December and January were both mild and dry - another relatively fine vintage for Semillon. This is the colour of straw bales, with streaks of green. Grassy notes with green apple, callow melon, limes then lemons are followed by an incoming nascent honey character. Fine, flinty acids crunch, revive and linger long after the initial sip. Long live the paradox of Hunter Valley Semillon!"

Halliday Wine Award 2021 Judges Comment - "Pale straw-green - an extraordinary colour of extraordinary wine. A fragrant bouquet floats out of the glass and introduces a palate that has the best of all worlds: lemon, lemon curd, beeswax, and fruit spice with no hint of the searing acidity Hunter Valley Semillon can throw at the unwary. Here it is perfectly (and naturally) balanced. A worthy companion to the sublime Graveyard Shiraz '18. ." (2014 Vintage)

Wine Enthusiast - "From acclaimed Aussie winemaker Ian Riggs in one of Australia's most historic wine regions, this seven-year-old wine is a lovely example of the age-worthy Semillon. Rich, waxy lemon and honey notes give way to a herbal and flinty streak. The palate is seriously focused and tightly wound around a line of zesty, crunchy acidity, and a waxy texture."

Huon Hooke - "Medium to light straw-yellow colour with a rich, toasty, resiny, lemon and grapefruit pith bouquet, superb; the palate fine and taut, delicate and soft, with no austerity. A lovely, effortless wine."

The Winemaker - "At 6 years of age on release, the colour is just starting to show some development with yellow tints complimenting the green edges. Lifted almond bread and the floral notes heading to beeswax and toast. Lively lime juice, Bickford cordial characters and backed by a superb zesty acidity. The magic of Hunter Valley Semillon on display with texture, fruit weight, and great length from a wine that sees no oak. The ILR Reserve Semillon is released from the best years and this is a beauty."

James Suckling - "Lovely development showing here with notes of straw, creme brulee, nougat, dried pineapple, some petrol, and candied citrus. Full-bodied with loads of tropical fruit on the palate, but it’s well-integrated across a bed of mouthwatering acidity. A long finish."

The Wine Front - "Scintillating wine here. The questionable 2011 vintage did no harm in Hunter, or so the story goes. Pretty perfume with the verity of gently maturing Semillon in lemon, a hint of brown lime, a faint suggestion of honeycomb on toast, a touch of pretty sea spray character, and a sniff of talc-like mineral charm. Juicy in the palate yet still squeaky and firm in its acidity. Quietly powerful wine showing inward intensity yet delicacy with limey tang, wildly minerally feel, bristling with intent. The needle-like thrust of wine yet still approachable (and so fresh), despite the sense of toastiness that abounds. Fantastic release"

The ILR Reserve Semillon is named after Chief Winemaker and Managing Director Iain Leslie Riggs, who joined the winery in 1982. Iain has taken Brokenwood from a small ‘hobby’ winery into the national and international arena and was the driving force in Brokenwood extending the range to white wines. The ILR Reserve Semillon is an aged white wine that receives no oak.

After tasting the wine over the first three years the decision was made to release at 5 years bottle age, in other words, to have some bottle development but capable of aging further. In terms of winemaking, it was a case of low (and now, zero) skin contact and neutral yeast.

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 have 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 - particularly those in the Hunter Valley.