The white grapes Semillon and Sauvignon blanc have a long history together. The marriage of these varieties originated in Bordeaux, France, but over the past 30-odd years it’s become a staple of Australian white wine. Margaret River in southern WA is a local heartland for sem-sauv or sauv-sem blends.
The primary fruit flavours in Sémillon are lemon, apple, pear and green papaya. There’s something very waxy about the taste of Sémillon which wine writers often describe as lanolin.
The primary fruit flavours of Sauvignon Blanc are lime, green apple, passion fruit and white peach. Depending on how ripe the grapes are when the wine is made, the flavour will range from zesty lime to flowery peach.
The reason why these two varieties blend so well is that Sauvignon Blanc generally has more intense fruit flavours, more vivid acidity and a lighter body. While Semillon is heavier, with lower acidity and an appealing, almost oily or waxy quality to it. Blended together, Semillon can give Sauvignon Blanc a terrific structure and weight, the two balancing each other out with the result being greater than the sum of its parts
The 2019 vintage at Capel Vale was cooler during the spring and summer seasons than normal. Humid conditions were evident during the ripening stages with a scattering of light rain, hence the vines were very low yielding resulting in elegant flavours and good natural acidity.
The final blend comprised of a 60 – 40% split of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The wine displays kiwi fruit and lemongrass flavours with hints of beeswax from the Semillon and time spent in French barriques. The oak adds lovely texture and depth to the wine. We recommend drinking this wine chilled with barbequed prawns and greek salad.
Visit our wine shop to purchase the 2019 Regional Series Margaret River Semillon Sauvignon Blanc.
