Semillon is a white grape often blended with other grapes to make white wines. It is used in Bordeaux white wines, with ratios varying by chateau, and in Australia, where it is taken seriously as a grape for respectable wines. Australian Semillon wines can be dry and heavy, ideal for ageing, or sweet, made in the style of French Sauternes wines. These sweet Semillon wines are widely hailed as some of the best sweet wines in the world.
Semillon is a white grape used to make white wines around the world, most often in concert with another grape. It has had a difficult history in its treatment of the wine-drinking public and has been vilified among so many wine connoisseurs that many producers have not put the Semillon name on their labels.
In France, Semillon is one of the main grapes used to make Bordeaux white wines, together with Sauvignon Blanc. These wines almost always blend Semillon, but the ratios depend entirely on the chateau responsible for the wine itself. Some white wines from Bordeaux are primarily Sauvignon Blanc, which translates to a full-bodied, dry white wine – these are the types produced in the Pessac-Leognan and Graves regions. Other Bordeaux white wines are mostly Semillon, with just a little Sauvignon Blanc added for acidity, resulting in a wine that is much sweeter than most whites.
In Australia, the Semillon grape has the distinction of being taken seriously as a grape that can be used to make respectable wines. As a result, many Australian vineyards produce wines made exclusively from Semillon. These Australian decanters are dry and heavy and ideal for ageing. A good Australian semillon turns almost orange over the years and can prove to be an extraordinary opportunity for a unique and exquisite wine. These higher-quality Semillon wines take some getting used to, mainly due to the taste variously described as burnt toast or volcano – an odd mineral taste that some find quite a turn on at first flush.
Australia also produces Semillon wines in the style of French Sauternes sweet wines, as well as blended Semillon wines intended for more mass consumption. These blends usually mix the Semillon grape with either Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, or both, to give the resulting wine some acidity. Semillon is one of those white grapes that lends itself well to the botrytis noble rot, increasing the sugar content of the grape on the vine and creating a very sweet dessert wine. The Sauternes region of Bordeaux is best known for the variety of sweet semillons, although other regions also make them. These Sauternes wines are widely hailed as some of the best sweet wines in the world, and many connoisseurs suggest pairing them extensively with food, not simply desserts.
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