Hunter semillon: Brokenwood and other great practitioners

Growing up, our family wine cellar was devoted entirely to Lindemans wines made in the Hunter. Here’s why.

TWAM 6 Feb 2016

From time to time I have suggested that my mother’s amniotic fluid was Hunter Valley semillon; the family wine cellar was devoted entirely to Lindemans wines made in the Hunter. It released three semillons almost every year in the 1960s labelled either riesling, chablis or white burgundy.

Given their cork closures, these wines had astonishing longevity.

I could go on forever with examples, but the 1967 Reserve Bin 3455 was entered in the Museum Class 38 at the 1984 National Wine Show. I was one of the three judges in the panel. Each of us gave the wine 19 points out of 20, and this 17-year-old semillon went on to win three trophies. Because the labels gave no details, and background marketing material was unheard of, no one outside the company knew whether it was from the Ben Ean Vineyard, the Sunshine Vineyard, or a blend of the two.

This came into a modern context when Brokenwood Wines celebrated the release of its 2009 ILR Semillon at Bennelong Restaurant last October. Brokenwood ILR is selected from the best of the vintage; it puts down three or four reserve wines which could become ILR, the final decision not made until the passage of several years. Moreover, it could be a single vineyard, a blend (’04 and ’05) or as in ’08 and ’10, when none of the wines reached ILR, though they were good enough to be released as single vineyard wines.

Over the years Brokenwood learnt that the Maxwell Vineyard’s wines are tight/restrained, Trevena Vineyard’s have excellent acid/fruit balance and length and Oakey Creek’s are the most generous and complex. Oakey Creek has provided the ’02, ’06, ’07, ’09 and (almost certainly) the ’13. But we also were able to taste the ’11, a sentimental favourite for me, made with grapes sourced from the replanted Sunshine Vineyard. It will be the next release, and I’ll have to wait until October 2017 – a good enough reason for living.

2009 Brokenwood ILR Reserve Hunter Valley Semillon

Little or no colour change; the bouquet is distinctly aromatic, but still focused on primary fruit, not toast or honey; the palate is electrifying, drawing saliva from the mouth with its mix of unsweetened lemon juice/lemon zest and life-giving acidity, the DNA of great semillon, protected by screwcap for decades. 10.9% alc, screwcap. 97 points, drink to 2029, $70

2011 Brokenwood ILR Reserve Hunter Valley Semillon

Has the green tinge to its colour that always excites me. A lovely combination of lemongrass freshness with perfect first stage development of sweet fruit and incipient toast (which will take years to fully evolve). In the meantime, citrus rules the roost, allied with mouthwatering acidity. 11% alc, screwcap. 97 points, drink to 2031, $90

2015 Brokenwood Hunter Valley Semillon

There’s a treasure trove of flavours in this wine ranging from citrus to a hint of stone fruit alongside lemongrass, making it a drop-dead drink-tonight (or whenever) proposition. Top gold medal in its class at the Adelaide Wine Show ’15. 10.5% alc, screwcap. 94 points, drink to 2022, $25