Brokenwood ILR Reserve HV Semillon 2019
- 98
- $120
- Drink by: 2025-2045
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Named after their former long term winemaker and Hunter legend, Iain Riggs, this is Brokenwood’s prestige Semillon and, indeed, always one of the very best from the region. The team pick the best fruit from whichever vineyard provides it and the wine always has an extended period in the cellar before release. This vintage, a very good one, that vineyard was the Trevena Vineyard on Hermitage Road, originally planted in 1926. Shining lemon/lime, this is early days for this very fine wine, but it is unquestionably a thrilling ILR and a great Hunter Semillon. The nose gives us notes of lemons on toast, florals, dry herbs, citrus, limes and a flick of peach kernels. There is great structure here and the wine is already exhibiting complexity. Wonderfully supple in texture with immense length, a line of fine acidity runs the full journey. Everything is impeccably balanced and we can expect this wine to provide pleasure for at least another twenty years. Stunning.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
