Grape Variety: Sémillon
Color: Very light golden to clear.
Aroma: Figs and or orange marmalade is the traditional answer. I tend to find a rubbery smell on occasion.
Body: Moderate
Wine Making Flavors: Generally not many flavors other than the fruit. The exception is when it is botrytis affected to make Sauternes style sweet wines.
Blended with: Usually with Sauvignon Blanc. Ocassionally with Chardonnay.
Sémillon
CHF18.50
Product Description
Semillon Wine Grapes, Flavor, Character and History
Semillon, is easy to grow. It’s major fault is interestingly, its best loved virtue. Semillon is prone to developing rot. This is a good thing because Semillon is especially susceptible to being struck by botrytis. Known as noble rot, once Semillon becomes infested with botrytis, it also develops amazing characteristic sought by lovers of sweet wines all over the world!
Semillon, with its think skin, low acid fruit and rich, oily profile is perfect for Sauternes. In fact, it is the dominant grape variety in the entire Sauternes appellation that is used to produce sweet, white, Bordeaux wine. While its also planted in Australia, America and other regions, it reaches its full potential with the sweet, white, Bordeaux wine that is from the Sauternes and Barsac appellations. It is also an important blending grape used to produce dry, white, Bordeaux wine in Graves Pessac Leognan, as well as in Entre-deux-mers. In Bordeaux, the Semillon grape is blended with Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. However, one small producer makes a wine from 100% Semillon, Chateau Memories, a generic Bordeaux wine. However, not all sweet, Bordeaux wines are produced from blends. Most notably, Chateau Climens in Barsac makes a distinctive wine from 100% Semillon.
The magic of Semillon takes place due to botrytis. When a grape is attacked by this rot, the berries are consumed by the development of rot. They shrivel on the vine. Sugar levels ratchet up and as the grapes dry and lose water, they become incredibly concentrated with sweet fruit, roasted nut and honey coated, tropical flavors.