Loire sauvignon blanc-semillon blends?

S

SteveTimko

Steve Timko
I've found Sebastien Treuillet Pouilly-Fumé that is a blend of savignon blanc and semillon made in the Loire. Can anyone think of any others? I'm looking for dry white wines.
 
You can't hardly swing a peeing cat in the Loire without knocking over a whole raft of dry white wines, but I don't believe that Semillon is even allowed under the AOC laws anywhere in the appellation. This is not to say that some young Turk (or old geezer) doesn't have some vines planted, but I don't believe that it could legally be bottled as Pouilly-Fumé with anything other than Sauvignon in it. Chasselas was once the predominant grape variety in the region, but these days it's found only in Pouilly-sur-Loire.

The Semillon/Sauvignon blend is more easily found in wines from Pessac-Léognan, as well as from throughout much of Australia. If you like dry wines, Oz Semillons offer a lot of expressions of that descripto. The traditional Hunter Valley wines need 6-10 years to mellow out but when they do, they're remarkably complex wines, totally reflective of the variable growing conditions in the area. Semillons from the Barossa Valley tend to be broader, riper, and more accessible in their youth than the NSW wines. They tend to age well too, but not for multiple decades. Margaret River Sem/Sauvs tend to split the difference in terms of ageability but that's an estimate based on a very few samples compared to my experience with NSW and Barossa.

In California, a lot of Sauvignon Blanc producers add a dollop of Semillon for interest (and vice-versa) but few of them mention it on the label, and although they are technically dry, there's invariably enough fruit (and in some cases oak) that they don't feel dry. Many are labeled as "White Meritage" so caveat emptor. When I have a hankering for a Sem/Sauv blend, I'll buy a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and a bottle of Semillon from Kalin and make a magnum's worth of blended wine. On their own (pre-home blending) they're pretty old-worldy, with the emphasis being on old, because this is one winery that believes in selling no wine before its time (I think the 1998 is the current vintage of the Semillon available).

-Eden (didn't I sound stentorian and kinda Orson Welles-like there in that last sentence?)
 
I agree with all of Eden's comments, with the caveat that it would be a shame to mix the Kalin Semillon with anything, it's a remarkable, unique and distinctive wine when it matures (usually between 6 and 10 years old). St. Supery makes a rather good SB-Semillon blend called Virtu.
 
originally posted by Christian Miller (CMM):
I agree with all of Eden's comments, with the caveat that it would be a shame to mix the Kalin Semillon with anything, it's a remarkable, unique and distinctive wine when it matures (usually between 6 and 10 years old). St. Supery makes a rather good SB-Semillon blend called Virtu.
Click to expand...
When do you find 6 y.o. Kalin Semillon? Isn't the current release 1998 or so?
 
originally posted by SFJoe:

When do you find 6 y.o. Kalin Semillon? Isn't the current release 1998 or so?
Click to expand...

It's possible that different vintages of Kaline aren't released sequentially. If the 2005 is precocious, it might be available before the 1999 comes out. This is highly unlikely, as Terry would probably declassify it or bulk it out instead of messing up the natural order of things, but stranger things have happened, no?

-Eden (feeling rather non-sequential myself, tonight)
 
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:

The Semillon/Sauvignon blend is more easily found in wines from Pessac-Léognan, as well as from throughout much of Australia. If you like dry wines, Oz Semillons offer a lot of expressions of that descripto. The traditional Hunter Valley wines need 6-10 years to mellow out but when they do, they're remarkably complex wines, totally reflective of the variable growing conditions in the area. Semillons from the Barossa Valley tend to be broader, riper, and more accessible in their youth than the NSW wines. They tend to age well too, but not for multiple decades. Margaret River Sem/Sauvs tend to split the difference in terms of ageability but that's an estimate based on a very few samples compared to my experience with NSW and Barossa.
Click to expand...

We've been drinking a fair bit of Hunter Semillon since landing here in Sydney two nights back. Last night's wine (one of them) was the '05 Tyrell's Vat 1, which was just as you describe except moreso. Tonight's was a simpler wine: a '10 Peppertree "Allium" Semillon that suffered in comparison to last night's.

Mark Lipton
 
Steve,
I don't know if you tried it when you visited, but Bedrock's, Cuvee Caritas is a semillon/sauvignon blend that drinks pretty well.
Best, Jim
 
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:
You can't hardly swing a peeing cat in the Loire without knocking over a whole raft of dry white wines, but I don't believe that Semillon is even allowed under the AOC laws anywhere in the appellation. This is not to say that some young Turk (or old geezer) doesn't have some vines planted, but I don't believe that it could legally be bottled as Pouilly-Fumé with anything other than Sauvignon in it. Chasselas was once the predominant grape variety in the region, but these days it's found only in Pouilly-sur-Loire.

-Eden
Click to expand...

The reference to Semillon in a Pouilly Fume puzzled me too although there are several references on different websites including CellarTracker to a Sebastien Treuillet Pouilly Fume being a blend of Sauvignon and Semillon.

However I doubt that Jim Budd who refers to it with a photograph in his blog http://jimsloire.blogspot.com/2011/08/sebastien-treuillet-2010-pouilly-fume.html
would neglect to mention that it contained some Semillon while still sporting the Pouilly Fume AOC.

So I phoned the Treuillet home and got Sebastien's dad who said "Sauvignon Blanc seulement". This is probably of no use in response to Steve's original request which could be read as "more Sauvignon/Semillon blends" please.

OTOH if it was a 'pure' SB Pouilly Fume that rang the bell then perhaps that is where we should be looking....... perhaps with some Sancerre suggestions too.
 
originally posted by Florida Jim:
Steve,
I don't know if you tried it when you visited, but Bedrock's, Cuvee Caritas is a semillon/sauvignon blend that drinks pretty well.
Best, Jim
Click to expand...

Thanks, Jim. No I didn't try it and the high ratio of Semillon makes this sound particularly intriguing.
The sauvignon blanc comes mainly from Kick Ranch, which I see does mostly Rhone varietals. Any idea how cool the climate is there?
And thanks, Eden, for the Hunter Valley recommendations, and thanks for all the other suggestions. I'll have to check them out.
 
Steve, as Eden noted, this is pretty much the recipe for white Graves, and your classic examples will be found there.

I am not aware of anyone doing this in the Loire, but as Eden further notes, it's a big region with a lot of crazy stuff hiding in the corners (see Don's link).

But Haut Brion blanc with 25 years on it is the stuff.
 
Steve,
For the Karatas, the semillon comes from up near the Monte Rosso vineyard and is from vines over 100 years old. It gets hot up there because the vineyards are above the fog line but those vines are used to it.
Kick Ranch is pretty warm, too, it being on the east side of Santa Rosa. The clone there is all musque and the wines made from Kick suavignon are good to very good, regardless of producer.
Morgan has fine-tuned is oak treatment to the requirements of his fruit (it was too much new wood in the first vintage or two) so that there is nice balance. Along with excellent concentration the wine has a solid acid spine.
I'm guessing these will age pretty well but they drink nicely even when young. And Karatas is reasonably priced.
Best, Jim

PS I spelled the wine's name wrong in my first post; corrected in this one.
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
originally posted by SteveTimko:
originally posted by SFJoe:

But Haut Brion blanc with 25 years on it is the stuff.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and only $700 a bottle, too.
Click to expand...
Well, if sauvignon/semillon blends are your thing, you have to be ready to step up.
Click to expand...

For a Bordeaux white to cost $700 a bottle I want it drizzled between Christina Hendrick's breasts before I drink it.

[Let's preserve the tone around here, shall we? -P.]
 
originally posted by Eden Mylunsch:
When I have a hankering for a Sem/Sauv blend, I'll buy a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and a bottle of Semillon from Kalin and make a magnum's worth of blended wine.
Click to expand...

They've already done that work for you: Kalin's actually 25% sauv blanc. See http://www.kalincellars.com/prod02.htm

I totally dig the Kalin - fascinating and complex. I also swear by Renaissance's semillon for its deep core of herbs and minerals, and the current vintage is 2006. A bottle I had last summer took 4 days to unwind.

Of the few examples of Hunter Valley semillon imported into the US, are any recommended above and beyond the Tyrrell Vat 1 mentioned by Mr. Lipton?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top