Winemaker's Comments

Hunter Valley Semillon is one of the world's most uniquely regional wine styles. The Braemore vineyard (planted 1969) is situated on the sandy alluvial flats of Hermitage Road, Pokolbin, and consistently produces Semillon featuring freshness, vibrancy and remarkable longevity. This wine has achieved an enviable reputation in recent years as being one of the finest examples of classic Hunter Valley Semillon.

The 2018 vintage was another warm and relatively dry season, the second of a four-year extended drought period in the Hunter Valley. The vintage conditions have produced slightly riper/muscular shiraz and generously flavoured yet beautifully long-lived Semillon.

The pedigree of the Braemore vineyard was evident again this year with the fruit achieving a perfect level of fruit ripeness whilst retaining excellent natural acidity. Clearly the warm and dry conditions allowed us to fine tune our picking decisions without any regard to potential issues arising from rain/humidity/disease pressure.

Hand-picked on the 25th of January, the grapes were whole-bunch pressed to minimise phenolics and fermented in stainless steel using a neutral yeast to enhance varietal purity. Due to the slightly riper vintage, the wine only spent four weeks resting on its yeast lees prior to fining in preparation for bottling.

Exactly 506 six-packs of this wine have been maturing in our climate-controlled cellar (held at 15°C) destined for release with six years bottle age.

Thomas Wines Cellar Reserve Braemore Semillon has been included in the 2024 Wine Ark Top 50 most collected wines in Australia, and has also been awarded 3 Merits (the highest level) in the 2024 Real Review Classification of Australian Wine.

Tasting Notes

This wine is just starting to emerge with those classic bottle-aged Hunter Semillon complexities.

A brilliant pale yellow Chartreuse colour and an expressive nose of buttered toast, grilled citrus and poached pear draw you in. The palate has a seductive silky texture with a crisp mouthwatering frame around a core of of barbequed lemons, baked golden apple and fresh yuzu fruit. Seamlessly long and elaborate with complexing notes of toasted pistachio, sour-dough crust and an oystershell minerality that keep you coming back for another sip.

Brilliant medium lemon colour with a vibrant green hue. An elaborate nose of fresh citrus and stone fruits and hints of dandelion tea, flint, toasted sourdough and grilled nuts.
The palate is just entering the realm of bottle age complexity. The flavour delivers waves of barbequed lemon and lime, ripe pear and starfruit alongside lemongrass, roasted cashew nuts and buttered toast, just to name a few. Its seductive and saline texture is balanced by a soft yet lively acidity.

A unique and seamless wine and whilst it is in a superb drinking zone right now, it will continue to evolve over the next decade or more.

Bottled - 5th June 2018
Release Date - 1st September 2024
Alcohol - 11.5% 
Quantity - 506 six packs + 100 magnums + 12 double magnums