At the stage of ideal maturity, it releases touches of musk, pain d’épice and tobacco.
Sensitive to oxidation, it’s a wine that should be drunk young.
Traditionally, wines produced with Viognier grapes pair well with freshwater fish, prawns à la nage, pike quenelles, shellfish or white meat.
They also marry well with goat’s milk cheese, such as Rigotte de Condrieu, or asparagus.
Due to their aromas and fruity notes, they are also served with spicy Thai or Vietnamese dishes.
The floral notes of some of these wines may remind some people of those of saké or rice wine.
For this reason they are also a choice accompaniment to sushi and sashimi.
I’ve had a soft spot for the Hunter Valley Semillon for many years now, since the owner of Nicks Wine Merchants, which was located on Swanston Street at the time, recommended a bottle of Elizabeth to me.
The decision to write about this grape, however, was inspired by the latest royal wedding – that of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
In the days leading up to the occasion, hundreds of services from London were presented, to let us in on Harry’s favourite beer, among
other things.
During that particular service, as the brewer spoke, the camera caught a glimpse of a bottle of Elizabeth, which shares a name with the
prince’s grandmother, the Queen.
At that moment, my decision was made.
The Elizabeth is an Australian Semillon from the Hunter Valley, a region with a warm and humid climate which, technically, shouldn’t be capable of producing a grape of great character.
Strangely, the Semillons produced in the Hunter Valley are extremely prestigious.
Fresh and aromatic while young, they become a golden colour as they age and take on honey notes, while still being a
refreshing drop.
Just bottled, Semillon from the Hunter Valley looks like mineral water and has an aroma of citrus and cut grass.
After five years in the bottle, the wine’s character changes significantly, and it takes on notes of honey, bread and hazelnuts, almost as though it’s been aged in an oak barrel and not in a Bordeaux.
Maurice O’Shea, a pioneer of the Hunter Valley, planted the vineyard in Lovedale in 1946, selling its first Semillon in 1950.
O’Shea’s contribution is still celebrated today at Mount Pleasant Wines – producer of the Elizabeth – with the Lovedale Semillon.
Collectors who wish to age some
Semillon in their cellar can choose between various producers, such as Brokenwood Wines, De Iuliis Wines, Keith Tulloch Wine, Mount Pleasant Wines, Pepper Tree Wines and Tyrrell’s Wines, with its iconic Vat 1 Semillon.
Originating in southwest France, the grape was brought to Australia in 1831 thanks to James Busby, who is considered the father of the Australian wine industry and taught viticulture at the Male Orphans School in Bald Hills, near Liverpool, in NSW.
The first Semillon wines of the Hunter Valley were mistakenly labelled as “Hunter River Riesling”, “White Burgundy” and even “Chablis”, making the affirmation of this wine difficult.
Semillon is one of the grapes used to produce the famous French sweet wine Sauternes (along with Muscadelle and Sauvignon Blanc).
It’s quite unusual that one of the greatest sweet wines is produced in what can be described as the “engine room” of Australia’s wine industry: Riverina, in NSW, a region known primarily for its production of more affordable table wines.
In recent years, however, the warm, humid climate of the Riverina has created ideal conditions for the growth of Botrytis cinerea, a necrotrophic fungus that affects many plant species, its most notable hosts being wine grapes.
It produces a mould which creates a sweet and intense juice.
Australia’s premier dessert wine is surely the Noble One, made by De Bortoli, followed closely by Gramps, Dugan Estate and McWilliams.
Therefore, Semillon can be aged and dry or young and sweet, and now there’s even a sparkling version.
Bimbadgen Estate, in the Hunter Valley, produces a Sparkling Semillon, fermented with the Charmat-Martinotti method (invented by
Italian Federico Martinotti then further developed with a new patent by Eugene Charmat).
This bubbly is particularly fresh and aromatic.
Semillon pairs perfectly with fish and shellfish, especially oysters.
If the oysters are served natural, you can add a drop of the wine into the shell in order to savour the two together.
Different from Chardonnay, Semillon can be served as cold as beer, especially when it’s young, without the low temperatures ruining its
flavour and structure.
On the other hand, aged Semillon needs to be served at a higher temperature and marries well with white meat and cheese (especially goat’s milk), dumplings, or sushi and sashimi.
The spiritual homeland of the Viognier is the Rhône region, in northern France, though it seems the wine has Dalmatian origins, and is therefore almost Italian.
Despite its popularity today, the Viognier faced extinction in the 1960s, so much so that in 1968, only 14 hectares remained cultivated in France.
Fortunately, some wineries in California and Yalumba, in the Barossa Valley, began planting the grape, guaranteeing the survival of this elegant and fragrant white wine.
Today, it’s primarily produced in Eden Valley, in South Australia.
Scented and with a moderate alcoholic level, the Viognier responds positively to contact with wood, which enriches the palate making it very complex, with hints of peaches, apricots, hazelnuts and a brioche finish, along with more exotic aromas such as musk, roses and orange blossom.
Unlike the Semillon, the Viognier can be paired with rich foods, such as red meat, potatoes and mushrooms, and goes perfectly with Asian dishes or a cheese board.
With its distinctive character, the Viognier is sensitive to oxidation and is best drunk young. It’s often fermented or blended with Shiraz and perhaps that’s why it’s often referred to as a red wine drinker’s favourite white wine.
