2026 Decanter World Wine Awards
Brokenwood Wines has achieved outstanding global recognition at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), the world’s largest and most respected wine competition.
Best in Show: 2019 ILR Reserve Semillon
The highlight is the 2019 ILR Reserve Semillon awarded Best in Show (97 points), the competition’s highest honour, reserved for only the top wines worldwide.
Decanter’s Tasting notes:
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.
Platinum: 2024 Indigo Vineyard Chardonnay
The 2024 Indigo Vineyard Chardonnay secured a Platinum medal (97 points), placing it among the world’s most outstanding wines.
Decanter’s Tasting notes:
Deluxe wheaten and smoky flint aromas synchronise with scatterings of lemon and herbal fragrance, flawlessly gilded in beautifully refined oak. Sateen and lustrous with shiny acidity and an appealing elevation marking the sustainable length. Glorious.
Silver: 2025 Semillon
Rounding out the results, the 2025 Semillon earned a Silver medal (94 points), continuing Brokenwood’s strong Semillon legacy.
Decanter’s Tasting notes:
Lovely lanolin, waxed lemon and butter nose: complex aromatics. In the mouth: impressive palate-weight with commendable purity and freshness. More to come.
A Global Benchmark
With nearly 17,000 wines judged, we’re proud to see our wines recognised on the global stage, while continuing to champion Hunter Valley Semillon as a world-renowned varietal.
