Semillon

On old plates as

Gros Sémillon

Sémillon is a white-skinned grape that originated in the Bordeaux vineyards of France. Genetic studies have identified it as an ancestor of the American varieties Catawba and Concord.

Sémillon arrived in Australia in the early 1800s. Important Australian regions include the Hunter Valley, Barossa Valley, Margaret River, and the Riverina. It is also planted in South Africa, Chile, and Argentina.

In the vineyard it is thin-skinned and ripens mid-season, prone to Botrytis cinerea, or 'noble rot', which concentrates sugars for dessert wines such as Sauternes. As a dry wine it is typically light- to medium-bodied, lemon-citrus and high in acidity when young. With age it can develop waxy, nutty, toasty, honey, and fig characters, even without oak. In Margaret River it is often blended with Sauvignon Blanc.