2023 Brokenwood Wines Semillon Hunter Valley Australia 750 ml

From what Wine Advocate calls “one of the Hunter Valley’s most respected estates,” this Semillon is a delicious and zippy collage of lime zest, green mango, and orange blossoms. As it sits in your cellar, those flavors will develop deeper tones, producing a dialectic between richness and energy that makes this wine one of the world’s great bargains. 

In the same way that breezes from San Pablo Bay cool down hot and sunny Napa Valley, the chilly wind off the South Pacific lowers temperatures in Hunter Valley—just north of Sydney—allowing Semillon grapes to retain their vibrancy and zip. While the region has been under vine since the early 19th century, it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that the combination of Hunter Valley’s unique terroir and Semillon’s early-ripening brilliance took the world by storm.

Almost 50 years later, Brokenwood has become a standard bearer for Semillon—and all of Australia—with winemaker Iain Riggs at the helm. He celebrated his 41th vintage in 2023, and as one of the Hunter Valley’s living legends, he still has “an unerring ability to keep Brokenwood’s high profile fresh and newsworthy,” according to Halliday Wine Companion.

Of course, what really keeps Brokenwood revered among the Australian elite is the beauty and charm of the wines. Riggs picks the grapes early to preserve the zesty acidity that’s a signature of the bottling, then ages the wine entirely in stainless steel. The result is a low-alcohol knockout with the energy and the ability to go the distance. It’s captivated a legion of fans around the globe, and once you take a sip you’ll instantly see why.