Brokenwood

Winemaker: Stuart Hoarden

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 and a must visit in the Hunter Valley. 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. 

Brokenwood was one of the first wineries to take bold new directions sourcing fruit from up and coming districts. Premium fruit is sourced from the best regions throughout Australia, to show true varietal and regional expression.

Semillon is a major focus of Brokenwood with 12 000 cases of regular Hunter Semillon made each year, plus four single-vineyard wines totalling 2000 cases altogether. 

Flagship Wines

The ILR Reserve Semillon is named after 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.

The ILR Reserve Semillon has been awarded ‘Best Semillon’ in the James Halliday Australian Wine Companion twice, most recently with the 2014 vintage released in 2020. 

The Hunter Valley is famous for Semillon production, and is a perfect fit for the nearby Sydney wining and dining culture with its grassy fruit lift on both nose and palate.