July 19, 2007
L’Ecole No 41 Semillon
L’Ecole No 41 Columbia Valley Semillon, 2005, Washington
I was perusing the wine shop last week searching for something white, but something different. Amongst all the Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs I found this Semillon. By my estimation it was the only American white in the store that wasn’t a Chardonnay or Sauvignon.
In a sign of my developing passion (or is it snobbery?) I found myself sitting up in the kitchen near midnight carefully examining and tasting this wine. It was my first taste of Semillon, which is most typically used as a blending grape, meaning it’s a secondary grape that is blended with other grape varieties. In this case the Semillon received top billing in a 86% Semillon and 14% Sauvignon Blanc bottle. Interestingly, many wines are actually blends. According to American standards a wine must be at least 75% of the wine variety listed on the label to be labeled as such. (Surprise, that Pinot Noir your drinking isn’t all Pinot Noir.) Most wines don’t tell you if they are a blend, and what the contents of the blend are, but this one kindly did.
The wine was a brilliant gold color with a strong citrus smell. I believe I detected the scent of pineapple and a hint of grass. The taste was crisp and very acidic — aggressive, to use a wine term — to the point of being somewhat unpleasant. Upon further reading I learned that Semillon is one of the few white wines that can be aged, and that aging will soften acidic flavors and bring out subtle complexity. Perhaps this bottle would have benefited from a few years in my non-existent wine cellar!