Brokenwood Semillon 2023 ~ Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia

94/100 Tyson Stelzer, Australia's Wine Business Magazine (WBM) 
93/100 Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
92/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review
91/100 Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot
90/100 James Suckling
94/100 James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion (2022 vintage)
93/100 James Suckling (2022 vintage)
90/100 Robert Parker. Wine Advocate (2022 vintage)
90/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2022 vintage)
90/100 Gabrielle Poy, The Real Review (2022 vintage)
92/100 James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion (2021 vintage)
91/100 Wine Spectator (2020 vintage)
91/100 Wine Enthusiast (2020 vintage)
Bronze - Ned Goodwin MW, Halliday Wine Companion (2020 vintage)

Gold - NSW Wine Award 2023
Gold - Royal Adelaide Wine Show
Gold - Royal Melbourne Wine Awards
Gold - The TEXSOM International Wine Awards (2022 vintage)
Silver - Melbourne Royal Show (2022 vintage)
Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards (2022 vintage)
Gold - The TEXSOM International Wine Awards (2021 vintage)
Bronze - Melbourne Royal Show (2021 vintage)
Silver - The TEXSOM International Wine Awards (2020 vintage)

Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front "When I first opened this it seemed fruit driven and simple. It is ofcourse only a few months old. I sat it in the glass for an hour or so and the nose remained estery and fruity, but the palate turned to stones, chalk and apples, with the citrus blossom characters on full show too. There's dryness here, a noticeable amount of grip, and a confidence to the finish."

Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Bright pale yellow colour with a very lifted, intense aroma that suggests lemon juice and pith, fresh herbs and lime juice. The palate is intense and zesty, tremendously bouncy, frisky and come-hither, a ball of energy. This is an impressive wine that drinks really well at such an early age. Utterly delicious, mouth-watering, appetising and more-ish."

Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot "...this has a lovely pale lemon hue. Fragrant nose, citrus, hay, minerals and more – compelling aromas. There is fine balance and a supple texture plus a fine line of acidity. Fresh and bright, with mid length, this is a ten year proposition. No oak, no malolactic fermentation, no problem. A very fine example of a basic Hunter Sem, plenty of flavour if drinking young and the potential to age and improve."

James Suckling "Relaxed for a younger semillon, borne of the first temperate vintage in some time following a duo of cooler La Nina years. Scents of jasmine, Granny Smith slushy and spiced nashi pear. Featherweight wine. Low in alcohol. Transparent and highly regional. This will age well, as its stellar track record attests."

James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion "et growing conditions that prevailed through to January ’22 were well-managed across the patchwork quilt of vineyards spread across the Hunter. Flavours of lemongrass, citrus and lanolin all contributing, this has the balance and length to transform itself over the next five years." (2022 vintage)

James Suckling "A textbook semillon from Hunter Valley as always, with sliced lemons, green apples and lemon curd character with minerals and waxy undertones. It’s full and layered with a bright acidity and vivid finish." (2022 vintage)

Robert Parker. Wine Advocate "The 2022 Semillon is grassy, green and tight, with a mineral seam of bright acidity that courses through the palate. It's glassy, polished and thrumming with acid. It's also talc-y, in its way. Fish and chips, anyone?" (2022 vintage)

Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Pale straw colour with a lifted floral fragrance, grassy and fresh-herb scented, the palate delicate and restrained, refreshing and tangy, sherbety acidity, dry but far from austere, a very appetising and refreshing summery white wine." (2022 vintage)

Gabrielle Poy, The Real Review "Notes of wet stones, lemons and freshly mowed grass lead into a delicately styled palate. It's energetic and tense, yet there's slight breadth to the core which adds appeal to such a young wine. No doubt a few years in the cellar will coax out more flavour and weight." (2022 vintage)

James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion "Grassy, lemony aromas reluctantly appear on the bouquet, but the palate is on the other side of the moon, teasing you with the question of whether it's just fruit sweetness or is there a touch of residual sugar? Brokenwood denies there's any such thing, so take it to your nearest Asian restaurant and be happy." (2021 vintage)

Wine Enthusiast "This renowned estate's most recent vintage—a hot, dry and difficult year—has produced a solid wine that may not have the longevity of some previous vintages, but that offers a lot of drinkability in the short term. There's a heady perfume of lemon oil, orange peel, dried herbs, beeswax, wool and kerosene. The palate is fresh but not shrill or unbalanced." (2020 vintage)

Ned Goodwin MW, Halliday Wine Companion "Rough going in a vintage scorched by heat and fire. Particularly for this signature white, when at its best can be a tightrope walk of balletic sinew, rapier-like acidity and citrus allsorts. A solid drink. Plenty chewy, with aromas of lemon drop, sherbet and quince à point. Offering more flavours perhaps, than a youthful expression from a classic year. All the better for drinking young. The mid palate is ripe and intense of flavour; the finish, a bit short and disjointed. (2020 vintage)

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 a 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.
Australian Wine Companion "Brokenwood consistently produces excellent wines.

Australian Wine Companion "Brokenwood's 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."

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.