Semillon
Along with Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle, Sémillon is the major white grape in Bordeaux, Graves and Sauternes. The grape is also often used as the the dominant variety for sweet wines such as those in Sauternes and Barsac. In such wines the vine is exposed to the "noble rot" of Botrytis cinerea which consumes the water content of the fruit, concentrating the sugar present in its pulp.
Sémillon, which is easy to cultivate, is fairly resistant to disease, except for rot. The grape ripens early.
Blended with Sauvignon blanc and Muscadelle, dry white wine is permitted to be made in the appellations of Pessac-Léognan and Entre-deux-Mers. In this form, Sémillon is generally a minor constituent in the blend.
Sémillon is widely grown in Australia, Argentina, Eastern Europe, USA and South Africa.
[ Other Bordeaux varieties ]
