2025 'Like a Version' Braemore Semillon
2025 'Like a Version' Braemore Semillon
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Introducing the sixth instalment of Thomas Wines “Like a Version” Braemore Semillon. This vintage, Daniel Thomas has gone solo to produce this left-field “cover version” of our more classically styled Braemore Semillon, using some of the best grapes from our 1969 planted vineyard. This label is an exploration into the world of minimal intervention ‘natural’ wines using grapes from one of the Hunter Valley’s most iconic Semillon vineyards.
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Winemaking Overview
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In the Vineyard
An ideal, relatively dry growing season from budburst through to verasion, had the vineyard looking textbook perfect and ready for the run home to harvest. A couple of pesky storms during January certainly tested our nerve, but ultimately the season was very kind indeed, leading to perfectly ripe fruit with perfectly balanced natural acidity.
A relatively generous crop was a welcome return after the miserable yields from the 2024 vintage.
We started picking the Braemore vineyard on Monday, the 27th of January, and just like last year, it was evident that the whole vineyard was ripening very quickly and evenly, so we managed to hand-pick the whole vineyard in just five days.
This parcel was sourced from the Point Block, hand-picked on the 31st January, our very last day of picking -
In the Winery
The 2025 vintage release is the first vintage made solely by winemaker Daniel Thomas, who has produced another intriguing 'cover version' Braemore Semillon. Fruit from our very last pick of Braemore (from the Point Block) was whole-bunch pressed straight to tank for overnight settling. With no enzyme addition to aid in settling, some solids remained in suspension when the juice was racked to 7-year-old French oak barriques (225L) for a spontaneous, relatively warm and fast fermentation. The wine remained in oak for the next five months with fortnightly stirring of the yeast lees.
Tasting this wine alongside our 2025 Braemore Semillon provides an absolutely compelling comparison.
The 2025 "Like a Version" is definitely a richer, more open and textural expression than our classically shaped Braemore.
Very limited - only 94 dozen produced.11.0% ABV
Tasting Notes
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Appearance & Aroma
Bright pale lemon with an almost yellow pearl hue
The aroma is strikingly clean yet quite flamboyant with hints of citrus zest, slivered almonds, guava, and yellow melon
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Palate & Finish
The palate is quite generous with a seductive velvet like texture and flavours akin to golden apples, poached pear and ginger bread. It finishes crisply dry with a long, enticing flavour and texture from time on lees in barrel.
WHEN TO DRINK
Drink now in its youth through to 2028.
The Vineyards
Whilst I have always applied a no compromise, attention to detail approach to my winemaking, I truly believe that 90% of the quality lies in the vineyard. The key to great wine is ‘keeping it simple’ to preserve that potential quality from the vine through to the bottle - Andrew Thomas