January 2002 Buying Guide: Semillon

Just 180 years ago it was South Africa's most planted white grape - so common in fact it was simply known as "wyndruif". Sémillon's fortunes have waned dramatically since the 1820s and it now comprises a scant one percent of plantings. But if the last five vintages are anything to go by, it may be the next generation in the evolution of the South African fine wine industry. Leonie Joubert reports.

Face it, Darwin had a point - place a species in a competitive environment and it's going to evolve. Make survival in that environment more difficult and a stronger animal will emerge.

Since South Africa opened up to the more competitive international markets in the early 1990s, winemakers have had to adapt or die and indeed each year WINE's category reports reflect a changing, thriving species. These are exciting times, indeed.

This month's WINE tasters took a detour from the usual noble variety tastings and browsed the market's dry Sémillons, spanning vintages from 2001 back to 1997. The panel was unanimous: this was the most exciting Sémillon tasting they've ever had. But why?

"Don't you read your magazine! South Africa is producing better wine!" stated chairman and Cape Wine Master Tony Mossop.

It's true - each category tasting is followed by the panel's agreement that the winemaking here just gets better and better. Even though the much vaunted Sauvignon Blancs may not have rated as well as anticipated in WINE's annual tasting - perhaps because they were tasted too early - the judges commented on the excellent quality across the board. South Africa is producing better wine.

Not Just a chardonnay in Bordeaux Clothing

Because local Sémillon is often oaked, one of its most common criticisms is that it may as well be just another Chardonnay. So the tasters stipulated that they were looking for good Sémillon character beneath the oak and not something that could be misconstrued as another wooded white.

When wooded, Sémillon's bare-bones grassy, nettle, honey and hints of citrus characters are fleshed out with butter and toast. Age makes it fatter and more complex with strains of wax, candles and lanolin brought on by the oak.

As a group, the category showed itself to be tense and tight with crisp acid, quite unlike many Chardonnays which, when wooded, may appear a bit on the sweet side. (Although taster Dave Hughes said he found some of these wines too acidic for his liking.)

There was a particular style showing through, regardless of what wood may (or may not) have been used.

"These are very different to the wooded Hunter Valley Sémillons," said Mossop.

Hunter Valley, Australia, is renowned for its full bodied, oaky Sémillons which, at 10 years of age, become famously complex.

Cape Wine Master and Cape Wine Academy Principal Christine Rudman agreed: "These wines have more fruit and they're more vegetal and grassy with a lanolin balance which adds a whole new dimension and tension."

The flavour spectrum could be also be related to the clonal material planted in South Africa - not all of which is good - and not just to terroir or winemaking style.

Sémillon is well known for its ageing potential and panellist Boela Gerber (Groot Constantia's winemaker) pointed out that maybe some of these needed more time before showing their true colours.

"My scores got higher and higher as the wines got older," he said.

It's probably no coincidence that the highest scoring wines were three year olds. And, added Woolworth's wine buyer and Cape Wine Master Allan Mullins, many of these young wines are showing well on the palate now and will only improve with time.

Taking the argument further, one of the panellists speculated that the age factor could be one of the reasons local Sémillons are getting better.

"Some producers are seeing the benefits of age in this grape and releasing a bit later to allow development in the bottle before sale."

Of course the final factor in producing a wine like this is the consumer. It's all very well to make a really good one but if the name Sémillon is too foreign, consumers will overlook it and reach for their favourite (and reliable or familiar) common-or-garden variety.

Even so, if winemakers are to evolve rapidly in their new climate of international competition, surely consumers will find themselves and their tastes changing, too. In the world of natural selection, it'll be interesting to see which wines emerge as the fittest of the lot.

But why Sémillon? Traditionally from the south of France, the blending partner with Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux Blanc wines, and used for the fabled sweet wines of Sauternes, it has an established pedigree in Europe. The only other place it has made any impact or achieved any sort of repute is in Australia, with New South Wales' Hunter Valley renowned for the excellence of its Sémillons. In South Africa it accounts for less than 1% of the total plantings countrywide.

Locally, it has tended to be made in much the same way as Chenin Blanc and not treated very seriously.

But that's changing. Winemakers are recognising the need to broaden their portfolios. And while Sémillon can hardly be regarded as innovative in Bordeaux, to the average South African consumer it most certainly is. So our winemakers are trying something a bit different and striving to make the best local example possible.
Tasting notes

4½ stars

Vergelegen Sémillon 1999 SEIDELBERG PRICE: R58.00 Brilliant buttery gold with a tinge of green. Pungent toast, asparagus, green pepper and typical honey and lanolin aromas fill the bouquet. Big, sweet palate entry with lime and peach fruit - very oaky and smoky and showing characteristic oiliness and citrus. Rich and beautiful. Superb drinking now but will last a good 4 years.

Constantia Uitsig Sémillon Reserve 1999 CELLAR PRICE: R58.00 Dark yellow gold of a mature white. Herbaceous nose with tinned peas, capsicum, nettle, butterscotch, Sauvignon-like cat's pee and grapefruit on a backing of toasty oak. Visible lees character lends to a fat, supple palate of citrus and grass with a zesty finish. Another outstanding wine for drinking now to 3 years.

4 stars

Bloemendal Sémillon 2001 CELLAR PRICE: R30.00 Clear lemon-straw. Strong green pea, green pepper and cat's pee character; also typical vegetal and lanolin aromas. Limey, grass and grapefruit flavours; crisp acid on a fresh, lively palate. A mouth-filling wine with 2 years of life in it.

Boschendal Jean le Long Sémillon 2000 CELLAR PRICE: R39.62 Clear yellow-gold. Very strong vanilla and oak balanced well with Sémillon fruit: also coconut, apricot, marzipan and lanolin whiffs. Still very smoky on the palate, with toast, butterscotch, grapefruit, coconut and marmalade onto a sweet-sour finish. Enjoy now to 3 years.

Stellenzicht Sémillon Reserve 2000 CELLAR PRICE: R58.00 Pale lemon-gold. Perfumed, spicy Muscat character, good green, herbaceous flavours on vanilla and smoke; a touch of lees showing itself. Creamy lemon and toast with a herbal character carrying onto the palate. Enjoy now or within 3 years.

Steenberg Sémillon Unwooded 2001 CELLAR PRICE: R32.00 Pale lime juice colour. Guava, cat's pee, greengrass, nettles, herbs, lanolin and peppers in the bouquet. Green pepper dominates the palate, with gooseberries, citric fruits and hints of lees. Drink within 2 years.

Steenberg Sémillon Wooded 2000 CELLAR PRICE: R36.00 Clear lime-gold. Interesting ripe peach, tropical fruit and asparagus nose, toast and honey with typical waxy lanolin whiffs. Well integrated oak (loads of it!) with apricot and peach flavours woven in. Long, lemony finish - pop the cork now or during the next 3 years.

Rijk's Sémillon 2000 CELLAR PRICE: R36.00 Dark yellow hue. Nose packed with oily lime, honey, lanolin, ripe mangoes and firm oak. Sweet, fruity palate: toasty tones, concentrated herby fruit and zesty acid. A typical Sémillon from Tulbagh. May need a little time to open - keep an eye on its development over the next 3 years.

KLEIN CONSTANTIA SEMILLON 1997 CELLAR PRICE: R62.50 Clear green-straw colour. Amazing tinned pea, asparagus, capsicum, nettle, "feline piddle" and grapefruit tones on the nose. Limey, crisp and austere palate. Plenty of life here - should hold for up to 3 years if you can resist the temptation.
3 stars

Landau du Val Sémillon 2000 R32.00 Rickety Bridge Sémillon 1998 R32.00 Nitida Sémillon 2001 R36.00

2½ stars

Perdeberg Sémillon 2001 R12.00 Viljoensdrift Sémillon 2000 R17.00 Stony Brook Sémillon 2000 R27.50 Hildenbrand Sémillon 2001 R35.00 Fairview Barrel Fermented Sémillon 2000 R35.00 Boekenhoutskloof Sémillon 2000 R40.00

2 stars

Lutzville Most Westerly Sémillon 2000 R10.25 Van Loveren Sémillon 2001 R16.60 Eikehof Sémillon 2000 ± R18.00 Goudini Sémillon Reserve 2001 R20.00 Eikehof Bush Vine Sémillon 2000 R28.00 Glenwood Wooded Sémillon 2000 R29.60 Wildekrans Reserve Sémillon 2000 ± R29.95 Savanha Sémillon 2001 R31.70 La Petite Ferme Sémillon 2000 * R35.00 Fairview Oom Pagel Sémillon 2000 R65.00

1 star

Glenwood Sémillon 2000 R27.00 Deetlefs Sémillon 2000 R35.00 Prices: ex-cellar per 750ml unless otherwise stipulated. ± Sold out ex-farm * Limited availability WINE Tasters: Cape Wine Masters Tony Mossop (chairman), Christine Rudman and Alan Mullins, honorary member of the Institute of Cape Wine Masters Dave Hughes and Groot Constantia winemaker Boela Gerber.

Procedures: Tasting done "blind". Wines poured at 14°C. The 20-point scoring system was used: 5 Star = 18 or more out of 20; 4 Star = 16 or 17; 3 Star = 15; 2 Star = 14; 1 Star = 13; No Star = less than 13. Star ratings awarded on the basis of discussion and consensus. Wine identities not revealed to panellists until publication of the assessments.