Sémillon?

We are so excited to be releasing our 2009 Sémillon to our Bordeaux Club this month, we thought we would share a little history about one of the few white grapes that age beautifully over decades. 

Sémillon, a noble Bordeaux varietal, is a golden-skinned grape used to make both dry and sweet white wines most notably from regions in France and Australia. It is one of the only white varietals that have the structure and complexity to be cellared for a decade or more, achieving a lemon-curd, honeysuckle profile. Try that with your other whites and you will quickly find a nice bottle of wine vinegar awaiting you. Here at Stryker Sonoma we produce a single-vineyard, single-varietal version of this wine, fermented completely dry and going through full malo-lactic fermentation in French oak barrels, giving it the body reminiscent of Chardonnay. With Stryker Sonoma’s winemaker having spent vintages in Australia and emulating a Bordeaux-style in Alexander Valley it is no wonder we produce Sémillon.

Botrytis on the vine

In France, the Sémillon grape is grown mostly in the Bordeaux Region where it is often blended with Sauvignon blanc, to create Sauternes, and Muscadelle. When fermented dry, it is frequently referred to as Bordeaux blanc and is produced in a handful of appellations in Southwest France. In this form, Sémillon is generally a minor constituent in the blend. However, when used to make the sweet white wines of Bordeaux, such as those from Sauternes and Barsac, it is often the dominant variety. In the sweet, late harvest wines the vine is exposed to the noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) which consumes the water content of the fruit. When attacked by Botrytis, small holes are punctured in the skins allowing the water moisture to evaporate and the grapes shrivel, concentrating the acid and sugar levels present. Due to the declining popularity of the grape variety, fewer clones of Sémillon are cultivated in nurseries, causing producers of this unique varietal to project a future shortage of quality wine. In 2008, 17 premium Bordeaux wine producers formed an association to grow their own clones in an effort to keep this Bordeaux varietal thriving.

2008 BotrytisSémillon

Sémillon is widely grown in Australia, particularly in the Hunter Valley Region, where it was mislabeled as "Hunter River Riesling". There are distinct styles of Sémillon-based wines made there: a commercial style, which is usually blended with Chardonnay or Sauvignon blanc; a sweet style similar to that of Sauternes, and one of a mineral based complexity from early picked grapes which have wonderful longevity in the bottle.  A unique difference between Stryker Sonoma ‘Oz’ Sémillon and Hunter Valley Sémillon is that the latter is almost never matured in oak, while Stryker Sonoma’s version is barrel fermented in neutral French oak. A majority of bottle-aged Hunter Valley Sémillon exhibit a buttercup-yellow color, burnt toast or honey characteristics on the nose and exquisite complex flavors on the palate with a lingering finish and soft acid. Young Hunter Valley Sémillon is almost always a dry wine, usually exhibiting citrus flavors of Meyer lemon, key lime or fresh green apple. Cooler year Hunter Sémillon seem to be the most highly sought after, with some of the 1974 and 1977 vintages still drinking well.

With a strong background in wine making, planted firmly in Australia, it is no wonder Stryker Sonoma’s winemaker, Tim Hardin, has chosen to create a single varietal Sémillon to complete our Bordeaux-style of winemaking. An often forgotten varietal, Sémillon has the ability to create wines with extended bottle life while still retaining its bright acid structure. Tim chooses to barrel ferment the Sémillon, allowing it to progress through full malo-lactic fermentation, giving rise to a brighter aroma and stronger astringency. After extensive research with the grape, Tim also feels that with barrel fermentation comes a robust mouth feel un-attainable through only stainless steel fermentation. A slight sharpness is present in dry Sémillon created with only stainless steel silos, whereas Stryker Sonoma’s is smooth as butter on the palate thanks to the neutral French oak barrel. One thing is for certain, Stryker Sonoma will continue to create a barrel fermented Sémillon further setting our wines and style apart from the numerous producers of grassy, mineral Sauvignon Blancs. We look forward to tasting it with you, and expanding your pallate to an obscure varietal.