The Sémillon grape Sémillon is a thin-skinned grape that buds late and ripens early. It has a tendency to vigor and can give high yields. Acidity depends on plantings conditions; usually low in France, it can be much higher in Australia.
Plantings of Sémillon Sémillon is the second most planted white varietal in France. It is the minor component of dryBordeaux Blanc (with the major component of Sauvignon Blanc). It is the major component in sweet Bordeaux Blanc (typically 80% Sémillon: 20% Sauvignon Blanc). Largest plantings outside of France are in Australia, where it is found in Hunter Valley, Barossa Valley, and Margaret River. In Barossa it is often blended with Chardonnay; in Margaret River it is often blended with Sauvignon Blanc. There are also plantings in South America.
Winemaking with Sémillon Sémillon has an affinity for oak, and white Bordeaux (dry or sweet) is often matured in oak (although new oak is used only for the top wines). Stainless steel fermentation to bring out crisper fruits is now also used for white Bordeaux and wines in the adjacent regions to the SouthWest. The technique of maceration pélliculaire was introduced in Bordeaux to give more color and flavor extraction by skin contact before fermentation. In Australia, oak-aging is often used in Barossa, but the classic style of Hunter Valley Sémillon is unoaked. Yields are at their lowest in Sauternes (<25 hl/ha), 45-60 hl/ha depending on the appellation for dry white Bordeaux, and typically ~60 hl/ha in Australia.
The taste of Sémillon Sémillon wine is high in alcohol and extract, low in aroma and acidity (except in Hunter Valley where acidity can be biting). Its characteristics are waxy, lanolin-like aromas and flavors at low yield, but it tends to lose its character at high yields. It can be quite nutty on the nose and palate, with notes of figs and honey that are increased when there is exposure to botrytis. In Bordeaux, waxy notes of Sémillon complement the more herbaceous notes of Sauvignon Blanc. Hunter Valley unoaked Sémillon depends greatly on the vintage, the problem being frequent occurrence of rains before the harvest. It can be unattractive when young, showing thin and acid flavors, but its proponents argue that it requires ten years to blossom, when it can be mistaken for oak-aged white Burgundy and can develop notes of orange marmalade with age. It tends to be a little hollow on the mid palate. However, one chain in the U.K. has stopped carrying it because of consumer resistance.
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