What is Sémillon?

Sémillon doesn't seek the spotlight, but it produces some of the most extraordinary wines on earth. It's the main grape in Sauternes — arguably the world's greatest sweet wine — and in Australia's Hunter Valley, it creates one of wine's most fascinating ageing experiments.

In Sauternes and Barsac, Sémillon's thin skin is a feature, not a bug. It makes the grape susceptible to Botrytis cinerea (noble rot), a beneficial fungus that concentrates the sugars and acids in the grape while adding unique flavours of honey, saffron, and marmalade. Château d'Yquem, made predominantly from Sémillon, is considered one of the world's most collectible wines, with vintages aging gracefully for 50-100 years.

The Hunter Valley story is completely different but equally remarkable. Here, Sémillon is picked early at low sugar levels, producing a wine that starts life lean, austere, and lemony at around 10-11% alcohol. Without any oak ageing, these wines transform in bottle over 10-20 years into something extraordinary: rich, toasty, honeyed, and waxy. No other wine in the world undergoes such a dramatic evolution without wood influence.

In Bordeaux's dry whites (Pessac-Léognan, Graves), Sémillon is typically blended with Sauvignon Blanc, contributing weight, richness, and a waxy texture that complements Sauvignon's acidity and aromatics. These blends can age beautifully for 15-20 years.

For food, dry Sémillon loves oysters, grilled fish, and creamy poultry dishes. Sauternes with foie gras is one of wine's legendary pairings, and Sauternes with Roquefort is an unexpected but magical combination of sweet and salty.