Weekend wine with Blake Creedon

THE sémillon grape isn’t used to the glare of publicity, but it suddenly popped up last week when a French restaurateur paid a record €85,000 for a bottle of Chateau d’Yquem 1811 — the most expensive bottle of white wine ever sold.

Despite its obscurity and unconscionable price it fetched in that PR stunt, the grape is highly relevant to us ordinary wine fans too.

Along with smaller portions of sauvignon blanc and muscadelle, sémillon is the major grape behind that Sauternes dessert wine style of Bordeaux. And the ‘dry’ white wines of the same region also depend to a great extent on the grape. But unlike sauvignon, sémillon only rarely turns up on its own, and you may have trouble finding a single-varietal bottle — even in well-stocked wine shops. But it’s well worth seeking out.

For its own merits, but also because seeing the grape on its own gives you an appreciation of the weight and density sémillon brings as a partner to sauvignon in regular Bordeaux blend.

So what is a typical solo sémillon like?

Think of a souped-up sauvignon — assertively acidic, but more aromatic, and with a pleasingly substantial breadth counterweight. Next time you’re squeezing lemons or grapefruit, bite into the white pith: what you’ve got isn’t a bad suggestion of varietal sémillon: a distinctly citrus aroma, slightly fleshy, and that touch of oiliness.

Coincidentally, just after the PR story, I got a tip-off on Twitter that a particularly interesting single-varietal sémillon had turned up unannounced in Tesco — the McWilliams Mount Pleasant ‘Elizabeth’ Sémillon 2005 highlighted below (it’s just one of four single-varietal sémillons stocked by larger Tesco stores).

It’s featured in Tesco’s Australian wine sale until August 16. All of Tesco’s sémillons are a steal at under a tenner.

Let’s take a look at three of them, along with a few sémillon blends available elsewhere. For more, see blakecreedon.wordpress.com.

And if you’re on Twitter, say hello at @blakecreedon.

Tim Adams Semillon 2008 Clare Valley, Tesco; reduced from €17.59 to €10

This outstanding, complex and rewarding wine is my pick of the week. The fiercely intense, pronounced acidity of lemon and grapefruit is bedded in a lovely rich texture and lifted by nuances of unripe peaches and nectarine. Delicious.

McWilliams ‘Elizabeth’ Semillon 2005, Tesco; reduced from €19.99 to €10

You may be surprised by a perceptible ‘pop’ as you unscrew this one — there is a natural spritz probably due to bottle ageing. If you’re looking for something different (an alternative to sauv blanc for instance) do try this lovely appley sémillon.

‘Finest’ Denman Vineyard Semillon 2006, Tesco; reduced to €10

If the other two 100% sémillons above hadn’t been around, this one would’ve been a contender for my pick of the week. The warmest and most rounded of the three, it shares the essence of their acidity and texture with a pleasant fillip of sweetness.

Chateau Bauduc Clos Blanc Sec 2007, Curious Wines (www.curiouswines.ie); €16.99

Solo sémillon can be a bit challenging, and thrives best partnered with sauvignon. Here’s a cracker from that blend’s birthplace: assertive sauvignon set off by deliciously aromatic rich semillon.

Robert Mondavi Fumé Blanc 2006, Selected independents; €15

This barrel-aged sauvignon sémillon blend is all about delicious fruit bedded in a lovely round-textured body set off with spice. I’d suggest you should try it even once. It’s superb value and could pass for a wine costing a tenner more.

Peter Lehmann Barossa Semillon 2009, Independents at around €10; currently €7 at Tesco

Deservedly regarded as a hero not just of the Clare Valley region but of quality producers, Peter Lehmann is my first port of call for affordable quality and this one’s no exception: expressive fish-friendly acidity balanced by a rich texture.