Chapter 9 - Chénin Blanc, Sémillon and Furmint

Question 1

Climate and flavours of Chenin Blanc

Answer 1

• Very versatile white grape
• Cool, moderate and warm climates
• Green fruit (apple), citrus (lemon) through to stone fruit (peach) and tropical fruit (pineapple, mango) depending on ripeness
• Natural high acidity
  Suitable for late harvest, but susceptible to botrytis, noble rot
• Dry to sweet
• Both oaked/unoaked
• Good examples can age for many years

Question 2

What are characteristics of Chénin blanc from France?

Answer 2

• Vouvray in the Loire Valley classic example
• Chenin blanc only variety permitted
• Wide variety of styles: from sweet to dry and sparkling wines
• Dry Vouvray: fresh apple flavours
• Off-dry/medium are labeled Demi-sec
• Sweeter wines from botrytis-affected grapes have stone-fruit and tropical-fruit aromas
• Typically unoaked to retain fresh fruit characteristics
• Best wines are age in-bottle and develop notes of honey and dried fruit

Question 3

What are characteristics of Chenin blanc from South Africa?

Answer 3

• Chenin blanc is most widely planted white wine grape
• Praised for keeping high acidity in warm climate
• Cheaper Chenin blanc often blended with Sauvignon blanc: dry, medium-bodied with flavours of peach, pineapple, sometimes vanilla from oak chips or staves
• Old vines produce pronounced aromas of tropical fruit (pineapple, mango), notes of smoke and vanilla from oak maturation
• Experiments to blend Chenin blanc with aromatic varieties such as Viognier to produce refreshing, floral style of wine

Question 4

Climate and flavours of Semillon

Answer 4

• White grape that grows in moderate and warm climates
• young wines: primary flavours of apple, lemon and grass
• Medium to high acidity, light to full body depending on ripeness
• ## Ripe examples evolved complex tertiary notes of dried fruit, nuts and honey

Question 5

What are characteristics of Semillon from France?

Answer 5

• Mostly produced in Bordeaux
• Bordeaux AOC Semillon often blended with Sauvignon Blanc
• Dry and sweet wines

Question 6

What are characteristics of Sauternes?

Answer 6

• Sweet wine made from grapes that have been concentrated by botrytis noble rot
• Sweet, medium to high in alcohol and full bodied with balancing acidity
• Pronounced flavours of stone fruit (apricot), characters from oak maturation (smoke, vanilla), often develops tertiary flavours (dried fruit, honey, caramel)

Question 7

What are characteristics of Semillon from Austrlia?

Answer 7

• Often blended with Sauvignon Blanc or for botrytised sweet wines
• Hunter Valley: dry, light-bodied, low alcohol wine, matured in inert vessels, bottled when young
• Neutral flavours, but develop pronounced complex flavours of honey and nuts over time
  Barossa Valley: broad range, similar to Hunter Valley wines or full-bodied and oak-matured

Question 8

What are characteristics of Furmint?

Answer 8

• White grape variety
• Grown in Hungary
• High acidity, susceptible to botrytis
• ideal for sweet wines

Question 9

What are characteristics of Tokaj?

Answer 9

• Produce dry and medium wines, but famous for Toaj Aszu

Question 10

What are characteristics of Tokaj Aszu?

Answer 10

• Tokaj Aszu is always a sweet wine
• Puttonyos is an indicator of sweetness
• Higher Puttonyos number means higher sweetness
• Amber colour, significant time spent in oak barrels
• Pronounced flavours with primary, secondary and tertiary aromas
• Fresh and dried stone fruits (apricots), citrus fruits, oak-derived aromas (vanilla, smoke), aromas of deliberate oxidation (caramel)
• Best and most complex sweet wines in the world
• Very good to outstanding quality