Sémillion/Semillion

Question 1

Characteristics of semillion

Answer 1

• moderate and warm climate
• apple, lemon, grass
• depending on ripeness can range from medium to high acidity and light to full body
• some can age very well: dried fruit, nuts, and honey

Question 2

Regions of Semillion

Answer 2

France Bordeaux:

• Bordeaux AOC: blended with Sauvignon Blanc. swell dry as sweet wines
• Semillion provides body and aging potential
• good wines often aged in oak and can develop in the bottle
• Sauternes AOC: sweet wines from botrytis/noble rot. Sweet, medium to high in alcohol, stone fruit flavors, oak maturation vanilla, smoke. Very good to outstanding, can mature for ages: dried fruit, honey, caramel

Australia Hunter Valley & Barossa Valley

• often blended with sauvignon blanc
• used for sweet wines because of the botrytis or dry wines
• Hunter Valley: dry, single variety, light body, low alcohol. grapes are harvested early, low sugar high acidity. after aging can develop complex honey and nuts flavors.
• Barossa Valley: similar to hunter valley but also full body and oak matured