Semillon
Today we are off to the southwest part of France to a little grouping of five communities that in combination is called Sauternes -- the legendary home of a grape known as Semillon. While we can also find Semillon in other areas, particularly the Hunter Valley region of Australia (north of Sydney) where it is often produced as a single varietal, for most collectors, when they think of Semillon, they think of Sauternes and the neighboring appelation of Barsac.
Semillon is a hearty golden grape that has shown incredibly disease resistant. That said, it is remarkably suceptible to botrytis also known as grey mold or noble rot (curious how botrytis sounds trendy, grey mold disgusting, and noble rot ... well, noble). Botrytis allows Semillon to be blended with Sauvignon Blanc, usually four parts Semillon to one part Sauvignon Blanc to make the incomparable sweet wines of Sauternes (Chateau D'Yquem being the most legendary of them all).
When produced as a single varietal, Semillon produces more than any other grape a waxy texture in the way that it coats the palate. Expect notes in the dry wines of lemon, green apple, pear, and papaya, with a distinctive nutty finish. When blended as a dessert wine, think of an elixir of stone fruit and honey with a pleasantly nutty finish.
Single varietal Semillon is one of the finest pairings with spicy east Asian food. The waxy coating calms the senses from the extreme spices and interesting seasonings of the likes of Thai food as well as the styles from Hunan and Sichuan provinces of China. When drinking as part of a Sauternes or Barsac, while the wines drink magnificently by themselves, a classic pairing is Sauternes with ripe, veiny blue cheese. But, perhaps the ultimate wine and food pairing of nobility is the pairing of a Grand Cru or Grand Cru Superieur (Chateau D'Yquem was the only wine given such a classification in the 1855 classification in France and remains the only wine so accorded) Sauternes with foie gras.
No unfortified wine is as ageworthy as an excellent Sauternes. In fact, in an article that I saw recently, a European collector opened a bottle of 1811 Yquem to share with a famous wine journalist and they remarked that they had gone to heaven.
Semillon is a hearty golden grape that has shown incredibly disease resistant. That said, it is remarkably suceptible to botrytis also known as grey mold or noble rot (curious how botrytis sounds trendy, grey mold disgusting, and noble rot ... well, noble). Botrytis allows Semillon to be blended with Sauvignon Blanc, usually four parts Semillon to one part Sauvignon Blanc to make the incomparable sweet wines of Sauternes (Chateau D'Yquem being the most legendary of them all).
When produced as a single varietal, Semillon produces more than any other grape a waxy texture in the way that it coats the palate. Expect notes in the dry wines of lemon, green apple, pear, and papaya, with a distinctive nutty finish. When blended as a dessert wine, think of an elixir of stone fruit and honey with a pleasantly nutty finish.
Single varietal Semillon is one of the finest pairings with spicy east Asian food. The waxy coating calms the senses from the extreme spices and interesting seasonings of the likes of Thai food as well as the styles from Hunan and Sichuan provinces of China. When drinking as part of a Sauternes or Barsac, while the wines drink magnificently by themselves, a classic pairing is Sauternes with ripe, veiny blue cheese. But, perhaps the ultimate wine and food pairing of nobility is the pairing of a Grand Cru or Grand Cru Superieur (Chateau D'Yquem was the only wine given such a classification in the 1855 classification in France and remains the only wine so accorded) Sauternes with foie gras.
No unfortified wine is as ageworthy as an excellent Sauternes. In fact, in an article that I saw recently, a European collector opened a bottle of 1811 Yquem to share with a famous wine journalist and they remarked that they had gone to heaven.
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