Word on the vine - Gemillon

Susceptible to noble rot, this thin-skinned grape makes sweet wines like Sauternes – but is responsible for good dry whites too

THE GRAPE
Sémillon (the accent is dropped outside France) is a thin-skinned grape that makes not only Sauternes, one of the greatest French sweet wines, but some of the best dry whites from elsewhere in Bordeaux and Australia, where it is synonymous with the Hunter Valley near Sydney. Semillon’s thin skin makes it susceptible to noble rot, which in skilled hands produces botrytised sweet wines.

THE TASTE
Although it lacks character on the nose, the grape responds well to wood-ageing, when it transforms from straightforward citrus of nuts, beeswax and brioche. Sweet wines such as Sauternes offer the ultimate in honeyed intensity. Dry semillon can age for up to 10 years and the sweet wines five times that.

THE PAIRINGS
With its full-bodied, often oily texture, semillon pairs well with full- bodied foods such as retro meat and seafood dishes – chicken à la King; lobster Thermidor - as well as hefty fish such as turbot with hollandaise or, for something lighter, a goats’ cheese salad sweet food: blue cheese and foie gras are classic French matches.

THE VINES
It was once known as 'the green grape' due to the vivid colour. Most appellations in south-west France permit its use and it is the most planted white grape in Bordeaux. Sauternes lies 40km south-east of the city, on the west bank of the Garonne; to harvest grapes that have been perfectly affected by botrytis requires each bunch to be picked individually by an expert who can identify from the level of decay when sweetness and acidity are at an optimum level. The best Australian semillions come from the Upper Hunter Valley, which has less rain and risk of vine disease.

This article was taken from the April 2024 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.