Brokenwood Hunter Valley Semillon 2022
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Australian Wine
Companion -
James
Suckling - Decanter
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Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Vibrant in color, with lots of luminous green tints. Lovely florals and lemongrass aromas. Mouth filling flavors of green apple and lemon pith balancing the zesty acid backbone. The flavors linger on for quite some time, similar to the 2021, a classic Hunter Valley Semillon to enjoy now or age gracefully.
Pair with Asian food or any seafood especially freshly shucked oysters.
Professional Ratings
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Australian Wine Companion
Wet 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.
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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. Drink or hold.
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Decanter
Citrusy and gently aromatic nose, very pure citrus zest scents with hints of fresh cut grass. Fine boned acidity.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a ripe, aromatic, porch pounder that opens with vibrant aromas of lemon balm, peach and pear blossoms, and an herbal undertone. The palate is crisp and gently fruity with a hint of waxy texture and plenty of refreshment. Drink up or leave for a few years—it could gain more interest with time.
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Robert Parker's 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.
Other Vintages
2021-
Wine
Spectator
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Enthusiast
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Wine
Enthusiast
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine &
Spirits
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James
Suckling
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James
Suckling -
Wine &
Spirits -
Wine
Spectator
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Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine &
Spirits
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James
Suckling -
Wine &
Spirits
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Wine
Spectator
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Wine &
Spirits
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Wine &
Spirits -
Robert
Parker
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Wine &
Spirits
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Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine
Enthusiast
Although based in Hunter Valley, Brokenwood’s practice of multi-district blending has been a major part of the company's philosophy since fruit from other regions was first sought in 1978. This unique approach and the resulting quality wines have cemented Brokenwood's place as one of Australia's most revered and consistent labels.
Established in 1970, Brokenwood Wines has evolved from a weekend venture for self-professed hobby winemakers into one of Australia's most reputable wine labels. Brokenwood was established by a trio of Sydney-based solicitors who then paid a record price of $970 per acre for a 10-acre block in the foothills of the Brokenback Ranges. The original block, initially planned as a cricket round for the local community, was planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and later Shiraz. The first vintage picked in 1973 yielded plenty of praise and a loyal following that eventually led to increased production and the creation of a new winery just two years later.
Growth was steady until 1978 when six new partners joined allowing for the purchase of the Graveyard Vineyard the vineyard that produces the winery's flagship wine. When in 1982 Brokenwood decided to diversify into white wines, they appointed Iain Riggs as winemaker and managing director. Just a year after diversifying into white wine production, Brokenwood's output was 70 percent white.
Sémillon has the power to create wines with considerable structure, depth and length that will improve for several decades. It is the perfect partner to the vivdly aromatic Sauvignon Blanc. Sémillon especially shines in the Bordeaux region of Sauternes, which produces some of the world’s greatest sweet wines. Somm Secret—Sémillon was so common in South Africa in the 1820s, covering 93% of the country’s vineyard area, it was simply referred to as Wyndruif, or “wine grape.”
Most admired for citrus-driven, mineral-rich and often age-worthy Semillon wines, Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions and was home to its very first commercial vineyards. The region’s warm summer nights coupled with autumn cloud cover and cool sea breezes allow full ripening and healthy acidity levels for Semillon; its diverse soils of volcanic basalt and white alluvial sands promote the development of Semillon’s delicate aromas. 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.
Chardonnay and Shiraz also do well in Hunter Valley.