2018 Thomas Braemore Semillon Cellar Reserve, Hunter Valley

In true Braemore fashion, this cellar reserve wine has incredible intensity; 2018 was a hot, dry vintage, which accounts for the palate's generosity and the boldness of the fruit. You'll find honey, a touch of sweet melon, juicy pineapple and ripe pear notes. Rather than being classical in style, it is weighty, concentrated, assertive and bursting with fruit. This is characterful Braemore with the volume turned up. Serve well chilled. A wine to drink and not hold.

94 points Toni Paterson winecompanion.com.au

Thomas Wines Braemore Semillon Cellar Reserve is a benchmark example of what Hunter Valley Semillon can achieve with time. Crafted by Andrew Thomas, one of Australia’s most celebrated Semillon specialists, this wine is sourced from the iconic Braemore vineyard on Hermitage Road, planted in 1969 on deep, free-draining alluvial soils. The Cellar Reserve represents a carefully aged release of the original vintage wine, held back by the winery to showcase the graceful evolution of this unique style.

Fermented in stainless steel and bottled young, the wine sees no oak or malolactic fermentation, allowing it to develop its character naturally over time. What starts as a razor-sharp, citrus-charged white transforms over years into a layered, toasty, and beautifully complex wine while retaining remarkable freshness and drive.

The nose reveals classic aged Semillon aromas of lemon curd, lanolin, toast, beeswax and flint. The palate is tightly coiled but layered, with lime marmalade, grilled lemon, white flowers and a savoury, almost umami-like minerality. There’s a nervy acid backbone still pulsing through the wine, leading to a long, dry, and mouthwatering finish that lingers with quiet authority.

Food pairing: exceptional with fresh oysters, grilled scallops, snapper with capers, Thai green curry, or soft-rind cheeses. Also brilliant with roast chicken and preserved lemon or creamy risottos.

Cellar potential: already beautifully developed, but with structure and acidity to age further for 5 to 10+ years depending on the vintage.