2016 Audrey Wilkinson Museum Release Semillon, Hunter Valley

A harmonious aged semillon with gentle nuttiness and honeyed lime notes. The palate has good breadth and roundness, with delicious lemon curd flavours supported by bright, integrated acidity. Despite its considerable bottle age, it remains assertive, expressive and powerful. The more air it has, the better it becomes. 11.5%

93 points Toni Paterson MW winecompanion.com.au

Audrey Wilkinson’s Museum Release Semillon is a celebration of the Hunter Valley’s most iconic white variety in its fully matured form. The estate, founded in 1866 and perched high on the Brokenback Mountain foothills, has long been recognised for producing Semillon of exceptional purity and longevity. For the Museum Release, only the finest vintages are held back in perfect cellaring conditions, allowing the wine’s transformation from vibrant citrus youthfulness into a rich, toasty, and complex classic before release. The fruit is sourced from premium vineyard blocks planted on sandy loam soils over clay, which give Semillon its hallmark delicacy and mineral drive.

In the glass, the Museum Release displays a luminous golden hue. The bouquet is layered and inviting, with aromas of lemon curd, toasted brioche, and honeycomb alongside hints of lanolin, beeswax, and almond. On the palate, it is wonderfully textural, with flavours of preserved lemon, ripe stone fruit, and nutty complexity, all carried by a line of soft yet persistent acidity. The finish is long, savoury, and mouth-coating, a testament to the variety’s ability to age gracefully without the need for oak maturation.

It is a natural match for butter-poached lobster, grilled whiting with lemon butter, roast chicken with tarragon, or triple-cream Brie. The wine is released ready to drink at its peak but will continue to hold for another 5 to 8 years for those who enjoy Semillon’s evolved characters.