Sémillon
/sem-ee-YAWN/Sémillon is a versatile white grape best known for two very different wines: the great sweet wines of Sauternes, where it develops honeyed, botrytis-affected richness, and the extraordinary dry wines of Australia's Hunter Valley, which age to reveal toast, honey, and waxy complexity. Its golden, waxy texture and capacity for graceful ageing make it a connoisseur's grape.
Grape profile
Character & style
| Trait | Character |
|---|---|
| Body | medium |
| Acidity | medium |
| Tannins | none |
| Sweetness | dry |
| Alcohol tendency | medium |
| Origin | Bordeaux, France |
| Common flavours | lemon, honey, toast, pear, hay |
| Aromas | lemon, honey, wax, toast, bread, grassy |
Pairing
Best food pairings
- Seafood
- white fish
- roast chicken
- foie gras
- custard desserts
Where it thrives
Key regions for Sémillon
France, Australia, Chile, South Africa
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is the world's most famous wine region and the benchmark for fine red blends. Left-bank gravel favour…
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Valley is Australia's oldest wine region, famous for a singular style of taut, age-worthy Semillon …
Barossa Valley
The Barossa Valley is Australia's most famous wine region, famed for deeply coloured, ripe, generous old-vine …