Semillon has a particularly important place in Australian wine. It produces one of the country's most distinctive and ageworthy dry white styles in the Hunter Valley, while its affinity with Sauvignon Blanc has made SSB and SBS blends an established part of Australian white wine.
The variety can be remarkably restrained in its youth, yet capable of significant transformation in bottle. When blended with Sauvignon Blanc, it takes on another role, contributing texture and structure alongside Sauvignon Blanc's aromatic character and acidity.
Hunter Valley Semillon
The Hunter Valley has developed a style of dry Semillon unlike almost anywhere else.
Grapes are generally harvested relatively early, retaining acidity and producing wines with modest alcohol and a light, restrained profile in their youth. Young Hunter Semillon can show lemon, citrus and subtle herbal characters with a fine, linear structure.
Traditionally, the wines are fermented without significant oak influence, meaning the complexity associated with mature examples develops primarily through bottle age rather than barrel maturation.
How Hunter Valley Semillon Ages
The evolution of Hunter Valley Semillon is one of the most distinctive aspects of the variety.
Young wines can initially appear delicate and tightly structured. With bottle age, they can develop greater depth and secondary characteristics including toast, wax, honey and more complex citrus notes, often while retaining freshness.
This transformation can sometimes give mature Semillon the impression of having been matured in oak even when it has seen none.
The best examples can develop over many years, although ageing potential varies according to producer, vineyard, vintage and storage conditions.
Semillon Sauvignon Blanc & Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc are natural blending partners and have a long-established place in Australian wine, particularly in Margaret River and Western Australia.
Sauvignon Blanc generally contributes aromatic lift and acidity, while Semillon can provide citrus character, texture and additional structure.
The proportions and winemaking approach vary between producers, resulting in styles ranging from fresh, early-drinking whites to more textural wines incorporating barrel fermentation and maturation.
What Do SSB & SBS Mean?
The abbreviations refer to the order of the varieties in the blend:
SSB means Semillon Sauvignon Blanc.
SBS means Sauvignon Blanc Semillon.
The first-named variety will generally represent the larger component of the blend, although exact proportions vary between wines and vintages.
Understanding the distinction can provide a useful indication of whether the wine is likely to lean more towards Semillon's texture and structure or Sauvignon Blanc's aromatic character.
Margaret River & Western Australian Blends
Margaret River is particularly closely associated with Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blends.
The region's maritime climate allows both varieties to retain freshness while developing flavour, and producers use the blend across a broad spectrum of styles.
Some examples emphasise bright fruit and are intended for earlier drinking, while others use barrel fermentation and lees maturation to produce more structured wines capable of further development.
Producers including Howard Park and Pierro offer established examples of the style, alongside a broader range of Western Australian interpretations.
Semillon Beyond the Hunter Valley
Although the Hunter Valley provides Australia's most distinctive reference point, Semillon is grown in several other Australian regions and internationally.
Its role also extends well beyond dry varietal wine. In Bordeaux, Semillon is traditionally blended with Sauvignon Blanc in both dry white Bordeaux and the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac.
This versatility, from light dry Hunter Semillon to textured Australian blends and long-lived sweet wines, makes Semillon considerably more diverse than its relatively understated profile might suggest.
Shop Semillon & SSB Blends at Kent Street Cellars
Explore Semillon and Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends, from young and mature Hunter Valley Semillon to Margaret River SSB and SBS and other Australian regional expressions.
Delivery is available Australia-wide, with same-day delivery also available across eligible Sydney metropolitan areas.
