This grape variety is originally from Bordeaux. Many people don't know too much about it because on its own it was seen as uninteresting. For this reason historically its been a blended variety combined with Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux region. The Graves region of Bordeaux excels at wine making. The combination of the richer, fatter, creamier Semillon complements the sharp and crisp characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc. Some of these wines are oaked and after years of aging show wonderful nutty, honey flavours. This grape is also very susceptible to botrytis, known as noble-rot, that dries out grapes on the vines hence shriveling them and concentrating sugars resulting in luscious-sweet alcoholic wines like Sauternes and Barsac, where four-fifths of the blend is made from Semillon.

In Australia, dry Semillon stands out in unblended glory. Crisp in youth, grassy with lime-green fruit flavours, aromas of lime zest. It ages well to show roasted-nut complexity, honey, beeswax, smoke and toast without any treatment in oak barrels. Although some producers may use oak to bring out more toast-like qualities. Classically its from Hunter Valley, but it is also very good from Clare Valley and Barossa region.

When tasting, make sure the wine is chilled.

 

Good producers in Hunter Valley are: Rothbury, Brokenwood, and Lindeman's. But it is grown almost all over Australia and is equally good in cooler areas such as Clare Valley.

References: Susy Atkins. "Wine Wisdom: a complete wine-tasting course", Quadrille Publishing Limited, 2004.

Stuart Walton. "The World Encyclopedia of Wine", Lorenz Books, 1999.

TASTING NOTES
When dry: lime-zest, honey, sometimes gooseberry. Often hard mineral purity, metallic. In Hunter Valley: woodiness even when unoaked, ages well to show flavours of burned toast. When blended with Chardonnay, shows lemon-lime squash.
When subjected to botrytis to make sweet wine, notes show exotic fruits typically peach, apricot honey, crème brulee.
Australian sweet Semillon can have a medicine undertone.