"$40 buys you perfection”: meet Thomas Wines’ 2026 Braemore Semillon

The sandy soils of Braemore have supplied Thomas Wines with semillon for 27 consecutive bottlings. Now, the 97-point 2026 release – remarkably priced at just $40 (it's no wonder Thomas Wines was shortlisted for 2027 Best Value Winery) – offers a fresh reason to explore what makes this Hunter Valley vineyard special.

For owner and head winemaker Andrew “Thommo” Thomas, the vineyard’s appeal was clear long before he bought it in 2017. “Braemore sits in the middle of a three-kilometre strip of deep, sandy alluvial loam running alongside Hermitage Road in Pokolbin,” Andrew says. “It follows an ancient watercourse and is widely regarded as the Hunter’s ‘Grand Cru’ strip of soil for semillon. That was what first drew me to the site.”

Planted in 1969, Braemore became central to the label Andrew established in 1997 while still working at Tyrrell’s. He initially made small quantities at a mate’s winery, before giving Thomas Wines his full attention from the 2000 vintage.

His relationship with Braemore has involved gradual refinement, including a shift towards judging harvest timing by what’s happening in the vineyard. “Over the years, we’ve focused more on phenological ripeness and fruit flavour on the vine rather than simply relying on chemistry, giving Braemore a little more early drinking appeal and approachability.”

Andrew Thomas in the Braemore vineyard, the Hunter's "Grand Cru" for semillon.

The 2026 season gave him plenty to work with: a wet winter followed by a relatively hot, dry spring and summer. “A small rain event in early January brought welcome relief rather than problems. We were then able to pick each block at Braemore in that ideal window of ripeness and beautifully balanced acidity.”

The result, rated 97 points by Toni Paterson MW, combines lime blossom, pink grapefruit and green apple with flavour intensity, appealing weight and freshness. Andrew’s advice for anyone meeting Braemore for the first time involves a seafood counter rather than a cellar. “Try it with freshly shucked oysters, sashimi, a bucket of prawns or pan-fried whiting. Anything you might finish with a squeeze of lemon is a good place to start.”

But the vineyard has also given Andrew reason to get curious about other approaches. Like a Version, first released in 2019, grew from his interest in natural wines, skin contact and the possibilities of different winemaking techniques. “The idea was to invite a guest winemaker to work without boundaries, using fruit from a semillon vineyard with real pedigree. We’ve worked with several winemakers over the years, and more recently my son Dan has taken responsibility for the label. I think the recent releases have been our strongest yet.”

The 2026 Like a Version is Dan’s second solo release. Using fruit from Braemore’s Point Block, he retains some solids in the juice, ferments with naturally occurring yeasts in older barrels and stirs the lees weekly until bottling. Tasted beside classic Braemore, it’s a chance to consider how much a winemaker’s choices can shape the same vineyard’s fruit. “Like a Version offers a broader expression, while Braemore follows the more classical style we’ve developed over the years.”

Andrew's son Dan made the 2026 Like a Version, a "cover" wine from the Braemore vineyard.

For those putting bottles away, Andrew offers a glimpse of what's ahead for the classic Braemore: “If you have the willpower to put some away, the lovely toasty, beeswax and lemon-curd characters begin to emerge after about five or six years.”

Explore Braemore and Like a Version at Thomas Wines, or join the Braemore Semillon Subscription to follow successive vintages. The smallest commitment is six bottles a year – enough to start testing that willpower.