Sémillon
The principal grape of Sauternes. Also the foundation of Hunter Valley Sémillon (Australia) — a low-alcohol, acid-driven white that ages 20-30+ years.
About Sémillon
Sémillon is the editorially distinctive grape behind two of the world’s most singular white wine categories: Sauternes (where it constitutes 80%+ of the blend) and Hunter Valley Sémillon (Australia’s most editorially distinctive white wine). In Sauternes, Sémillon’s thin skin makes it susceptible to Botrytis cinerea (noble rot), the fungal infection that concentrates sugars and produces the iconic sweet wine. Sauternes from Yquem and the top Premier Crus ages essentially indefinitely. In Australia’s Hunter Valley, Sémillon takes a completely different stylistic path: harvested early for low alcohol (10-11%) and high acid, fermented in stainless steel with no oak, the wine is austere and acid-driven on release but develops dramatically with bottle aging — a 10-15 year old Hunter Valley Sémillon shows honey, beeswax, lemon, and lanolin notes despite the low-alcohol, no-oak starting point. Tyrrell’s, Mount Pleasant, McWilliam’s, and other Hunter Valley producers maintain the tradition. Sémillon also plays minor roles in Bordeaux dry whites (often blended with Sauvignon Blanc) and historic Constantia sweet wines from South Africa.
Variety profile
Editorial notes
Hunter Valley Sémillon ages dramatically — a 15-20 year old bottle can taste like a different wine from a release-young bottle. The low-alcohol, no-oak Hunter style is editorially unique.