Brokenwood Wines

Brokenwood Wines was established in 1970 by three Sydney-based professionals who together purchased a 10-acre parcel of land at the foothills of the Brokenback Range in Pokolbin, in the Hunter Valley. The founding trio comprised James Halliday, then a Sydney lawyer, John Beeston, an architect, and Tony Albert, with all three committed to the venture as a weekend project alongside their professional careers. The most significant element of the founding story is the James Halliday connection: Halliday would go on to become Australia's most influential wine writer, the namesake of the Halliday Wine Companion (the country's leading annual wine guide), and a defining figure in Australian wine criticism. The early Brokenwood vintages were small-scale efforts assisted by family and friends, with commercial wine production beginning with the 1973 vintage. In 1978, additional partners joined the venture, enabling the purchase of the neighbouring vineyard block that would become the Graveyard Vineyard, named after its original 1960s designation as a Pokolbin cemetery that was never developed. James Halliday sold his stake in 1983, by which point Iain Riggs had already taken over as Chief Winemaker and the producer was on its trajectory toward national prominence.

• 1970: founded by Sydney lawyer James Halliday, architect John Beeston, and Tony Albert with the purchase of a 10-acre Pokolbin parcel
• James Halliday founding link is foundational: Halliday would become Australia's most influential wine writer and the namesake of the Halliday Wine Companion
• First commercial vintage 1973; 1978 expansion enabled the purchase of what became the Graveyard Vineyard
• Halliday sold his stake 1983; Iain Riggs had taken over winemaking the previous year and led the producer's trajectory toward national prominence

Iain Riggs joined Brokenwood as Chief Winemaker and Managing Director in 1982, a role he would hold for 38 vintages until his retirement in 2020. The Riggs era was the defining period in Brokenwood's evolution from weekend hobby winery into one of the Hunter Valley's most respected estates, and he is widely credited with championing the Hunter Semillon and Hunter Shiraz styles, expanding the producer beyond single-region winemaking, and establishing the modern Brokenwood identity. Riggs received the Order of Australia (AM) for services to Australian wine, and his initials are immortalised in the ILR Reserve Semillon, the producer's flagship aged Semillon. Stuart Hordern joined Brokenwood in 2009, was named Senior Winemaker in 2014, and became only the second Chief Winemaker in the producer's history when Riggs retired in 2020. Stuart was named Hunter Valley Winemaker of the Year at the 2024 Hunter Valley Legends Awards and, alongside Winemaker Kate Sturgess, was a finalist for the 2026 Halliday Winemaker of the Year. Together the team continues to refine the heritage Brokenwood styles while extending the multi-regional portfolio.

• Iain Riggs Chief Winemaker 1982 to 2020; 38-vintage tenure that transformed Brokenwood into a defining Hunter Valley estate
• Riggs received the Order of Australia (AM) for services to Australian wine; the ILR Reserve Semillon bears his initials
• Stuart Hordern current Chief Winemaker since 2020; only the second person to hold the role; named 2024 Hunter Valley Winemaker of the Year
• Kate Sturgess Winemaker since 2019; Hordern and Sturgess were both finalists for the 2026 Halliday Winemaker of the Year

Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz is Brokenwood's flagship wine and the most decorated red wine from the Hunter Valley. The 15-hectare Graveyard Vineyard was originally purchased because the parcel had been earmarked in the 1960s for use as a Pokolbin cemetery that was never developed, and Brokenwood planted vines on the heavy clay soils. The first single-vineyard vintage was made in 1983 by Iain Riggs, and the wine quickly became recognised as one of the great expressions of single-site Hunter Shiraz. The vineyard is now planted entirely to Shiraz across multiple named blocks, with yields averaging approximately one tonne per acre from the heavy clay producing exceptional concentration. In December 2023, with the release of Langton's 8th Edition Classification of Australian Wine, Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz was elevated to 1st Classified status, the highest tier in the classification, placing it alongside Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill of Grace, and a small handful of other Australian wines. Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz is the only red wine from New South Wales at the 1st Classified tier, and the only Hunter Valley Shiraz at this level, making it a singular benchmark for the region. The 2018 vintage won the 2021 Halliday Wine Companion Wine of the Year.

• 15-hectare Graveyard Vineyard originally purchased because the parcel had been earmarked to be a Pokolbin cemetery that was never developed
• First single-vineyard vintage 1983 by Iain Riggs; heavy clay soils produce approximately one tonne per acre with exceptional concentration
• Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz: 1st Classified in Langton's 8th Edition (December 2023); the only red wine from NSW at this tier
• Matured in French oak puncheons with no new oak for approximately 14 months, preserving Hunter regional character

ILR Reserve Semillon is Brokenwood's flagship white wine and is named after Iain Lloyd Riggs, recognising his role in championing the Hunter Semillon style during his 38-vintage tenure. The wine sits at the apex of the Hunter Valley aged-Semillon tradition: harvested early at low potential alcohol (typically 10.5 to 11.5 percent ABV) to preserve high natural acidity, fermented in stainless steel with no oak contact, then held back at the winery for approximately six years from vintage before release. The aged-release convention is rare in the international wine trade and reflects the unique cellaring behaviour of Hunter Semillon, which transforms from a pale, taut, lemon-citrussy white in youth into a rich, toasty, honeyed, beeswax-and-roasted-nut expression with a decade or more in bottle. ILR Reserve has been awarded Best Semillon in the James Halliday Australian Wine Companion on multiple occasions, including the 2009 vintage (released 2015) and the 2014 vintage (released 2020). Alongside the ILR Reserve, Brokenwood produces the Hunter Valley Semillon at value pricing, which won Best Current-Vintage Semillon at the Hunter Valley Wine Show across three consecutive years for the 2020, 2021, and 2022 vintages.

• ILR Reserve Semillon named after Iain Lloyd Riggs (Chief Winemaker 1982 to 2020); flagship aged Semillon
• Harvested early at 10.5 to 11.5 percent potential alcohol; stainless steel fermentation, no oak; released at six years bottle age
• Won Best Semillon in the Halliday Wine Companion for the 2009 vintage (released 2015) and the 2014 vintage (released 2020)
• Hunter Valley Semillon (value tier) won Best Current-Vintage Semillon at the Hunter Valley Wine Show for the 2020, 2021, and 2022 vintages

Beyond its Hunter Valley estate, Brokenwood has developed one of Australia's most diverse multi-regional fine-wine portfolios, sourcing premium fruit from McLaren Vale, Beechworth, Cowra, the Yarra Valley, Margaret River, and Orange in addition to the home Hunter vineyards. The Brokenwood label denotes the core single-region and single-vineyard tier (including Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz and the Hunter Valley Semillon range), the HBA Shiraz is a multi-regional Hunter Valley and McLaren Vale blend inspired by the great Australian regional blends of the 1940s to 1960s, and the Cricket Pitch range provides accessible blended wines at mid-price tiers. Total annual production is approximately 100,000 cases, with extensive export reach across Asia, the United States, and Europe. In 2026, Brokenwood was named Halliday Wine Companion Winery of the Year, selected from 945 reviewed Australian wineries, with 16 of 18 reviewed Brokenwood wines scoring 95 points or above. The award capped Stuart Hordern's first half-decade as Chief Winemaker and recognised the producer's status as one of the most consistently excellent Australian wine houses across multiple varieties, regions, and price tiers.

• Multi-regional portfolio extending to McLaren Vale, Beechworth, Cowra, Yarra Valley, Margaret River, and Orange in addition to the Hunter estate
• HBA Shiraz: Hunter Valley and McLaren Vale blend inspired by the great Australian regional blends of the 1940s to 1960s
• Cricket Pitch range: accessible blended wines at mid-price tiers; total annual production approximately 100,000 cases
• Named 2026 Halliday Wine Companion Winery of the Year; 16 of 18 reviewed wines scored 95 points or above