Sémillon

A golden beauty

Sémillon originates from an area in France known as “Bordeaux,” and in the past, it was considered to be one of the most popular grape varieties for white wine. This variety does not have its own particular family; however, it did once have a red mutation in South Africa known as Sémillon Rouge. The mutation is quite sparse, however, and is rarely ever found during present-day times.

Sémillon used to be France’s third-most important white wine and is now being grown worldwide. Areas where Sémillon is being grown are Australia, South Africa, the USA, and more.

Sémillon (Golden Grape)

As compared to other grape varieties, Sémillon is quite easy to plant and grow, and you don’t face any particular difficulties during the growing season of this variety. It flowers late, but ripens and matures quite easily. Sémillon grows well in sunny climates and is quite resilient against rot and mildew. However, since the grape is thin-skinned, it is susceptible to getting sunburnt.

The taste of Sémillon also varies from the region it was grown in. Sémillon grown in hotter areas will tend to have more fruity and buttery notes. Cooler region grown Sémillon tends to have more citrusy flavors.

Sémillon Taste Profile

The wine is one of the most popular white wines that are available, as it has a distinct and unique taste. Its qualities are listed below:

Colour

Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape and is thin-skinned. Its wine is usually white.

Flavours & Aromas

Flavours of Sémillon differ from winemaker to winemaker. However, it generally has fruity flavors such as pear, mango, papaya, lemon zest, lime, grapefruit, and peach. It also includes notes of honey, apricot, citrus, and nut.

Spice

Oak aging will add more spices to the wine. Spicy flavors may include cream, dill, butter, popcorn, and pie crust.

Taste

The wine is quite dry, with light tannins.

Wine Structure

Sémillon’s wine structure reveals medium acidity, dry taste, abv of 11.5-13.5%, light tannins, and a medium body.

Other properties

  • Oak: French and American oak barrels
  • Age ability: Sémillon tends to age gracefully and can age from up to 2.5 to almost 10 years.
  • Other flavors: Wax, Fig, Ginger, Honeysuckle, Lanolin, Honey, Hay
  • Serving temp: Cold (45-52 °F | 8-11 °C)

Taste

The typical Sémillon is medium acidic, has little to no tannins, a medium body, and mango, honey, and peach notes.

Common regions to find Sémillon

  • France – Bordeaux
  • Australia – South Australia
  • South Africa – Western Cape
  • The USA – California

Summary

Sémillon is an incredible dry white wine, and its popularity still exists to this day. Its waxy and fruity flavors can be enjoyed alone or with food. The best food pairing for this wine is dishes with bold and rich flavors and scents. Pork chops, salted, caramel ice cream, orange cheesecake, tarts, cheddar cheese, seared fish, ham and turkey go well with Sémillon. Fresh vegetables such as bell peppers, carrots, butternut squash, potatoes and corn are also great pairings for Sémillon.