2019 Brokenwood ILR Reserve Semillon, Hunter Valley

This iconic wine delivers power, length and intensity, with a weighty, expansive palate and remarkable complexity that set it apart. The aroma is so seamless that it is difficult to dissect, but a closer look reveals alluring hints of charred citrus, lemon butter, meringue and flint. The palate is deeply satisfying and, though it has gained extra dimensions, softness and layers with age, it retains an inherent freshness and youthful beauty.

98 points Special Value Toni Paterson MW for Halliday Wine Companion

Our eighth Best In Show Hunter Valley Semillon is every bit as classical as its predecessors. Lovers of the style will know that this isn't a wine to broach early; indeed in most vintages the more time you can give the wine, the more you'll be rewarded. The DWWA judges once daringly rewarded a two-year-old with Best In Show, but mostly this accolade has been reserved for wines between six and 13 years old; this year's nine-year post-harvest storage means that it's just beginning to sing. Look out for a bright silver-green colour, followed by oily scents of tropical and citrus (lemon and lime) fruits and vegetal notes, too – broad beans, parsley and courgette. On the palate, you'll find a darting and quicksilver wine with the same aromatic repertoire and a light-textured, acid-freshened palate. Its delicacy and flavour purity keep it moving swiftly and cleanly through the mouth. If you'd like a little more improbable toasty richness to be magicked up out of nowhere… just wait.

Best In Show 97 points Platinum Decanter World Wine Awards

Few Australian white wines command the respect of Brokenwood ILR Reserve Semillon. First released in 1978 and produced only in vintages worthy of the name, ILR has become a benchmark for Hunter Valley Semillon, renowned for its extraordinary ability to evolve from a vibrant, citrus driven youngster into a wine of remarkable complexity, texture and longevity. Brokenwood has been at the forefront of Hunter Valley winemaking since 1970, and ILR remains the estate's enduring flagship.

The 2019 vintage is regarded as one of the Hunter Valley's finest in recent years, producing fruit of exceptional purity, concentration and natural acidity. Sourced from the region's best low yielding vineyards, the wine is fermented in stainless steel with no oak influence, allowing the vineyard and variety to speak with absolute clarity. Time in bottle has already begun the remarkable transformation for which great Hunter Semillon is celebrated.

Pale lemon with brilliant green highlights, the bouquet opens with aromas of lemon zest, kaffir lime and grapefruit before revealing the classic bottle aged notes of toast, beeswax and lanolin that define mature Hunter Semillon. The palate is precise and beautifully textured, combining vibrant citrus flavours with remarkable intensity, fine chalky acidity and a distinctive mineral backbone. Despite its concentration, the wine remains weightless and elegant, finishing long with lingering notes of preserved lemon, gentle honey and flinty complexity.

Superb alongside freshly shucked oysters, grilled blue swimmer crab, lobster with beurre blanc, snapper, sashimi or roast chicken with lemon and thyme. Already magnificent to drink, this Australian icon will continue to reward patient collectors for many years to come.