Sémillon: taste, styles and the dishes that match
17 styles and 314 dish scores from our sommelier database
What does Sémillon taste like, and what should you serve with it? In our database this white grape is linked to dozens of styles and hundreds of dish scores from ten years of sommelier work. The essence: match the taste profile to the plate — as with Sea bream.
Taste profile (Wine DNA)
Averaged across the styles in our database, Sémillon shows fresh acidity, is medium-bodied and exuberantly fruity, with barely any tannin.
Well-known Sémillon styles
- Semillon Hunter Valley · Australia — medium-bodied, pronounced freshness, lightly mineral
Bone-dry benchmark Australian Semillon with crisp citrus acidity that develops complex toast and honey notes with age. - Graves & Pessac-Léognan Blanc · Graves — medium-bodied, fresh acidity, subtle oak notes, lightly mineral
Dry gastronomic white Bordeaux where Sémillon brings roundness, waxy texture and length alongside Sauvignon Blanc. - Bordeaux and Bergerac Blanc · Bordeaux — light-bodied, pronounced freshness
Bergerac and (Côtes de Bergerac), Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur, Bordeaux Côtes de Franc, Ste-Foy-Bordeaux, Côtes de Bourg and Blaye blanc, Entre-Deux-Mers, Montravel,… - Bordeaux and Bergerac blanc with wood ageing · Southwest France — medium-bodied, pronounced freshness
Bordeaux (Supérieur), (Côtes de) Bergerac. - Semillon-Sauvignon · New World — medium-bodied, pronounced freshness
Fruity, ripe, well-rounded white wine that is a blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon grape varieties. - Bordeaux blanc · Bordeaux — full-bodied, fresh acidity, soft tannins, subtle oak notes
Tight, intense and powerful wines with wood ageing that will age very well. - Sauternes and Monbazillac · Southwest France — full-bodied, fresh acidity, generous oak ageing, off-dry to sweet
Sauternes, Barsac, St.
Price-wise Sémillon covers the full range: of the 17 styles in our database, 35% sit in the entry segment, 59% mid-range and 6% at the top end. You will find both a weekday bottle and a cellar-worthy wine in this grape.
The best-scoring dishes with Sémillon
The dishes below come from our expert scoring: every combination was scored by sommeliers using the Wine DNA of both dish and wine. These are the strongest matches for Sémillon styles, from classic to surprising.
- Sea bream — best style: Graves and Pessac-Léognan blanc
- Fish and chips — best style: Graves and Pessac-Léognan blanc
- Gumbo — best style: Bordeaux and Bergerac blanc with wood ageing
- Salmon carpaccio — best style: Semillon-Sauvignon New World
- Shrimp — best style: Bordeaux and Bergerac blanc with wood ageing
- Fish tacos — best style: Semillon-Sauvignon New World
- Gravlax — best style: Semillon-Sauvignon New World
- Smoked salmon — best style: Semillon-Sauvignon New World
- Langoustines — best style: Graves and Pessac-Léognan blanc
- Spaghetti vongole — best style: Semillon New World
- Vitello tonnato — best style: Graves and Pessac-Léognan blanc
- Hummus — best style: Bordeaux and Bergerac blanc with wood ageing
Want to know if a specific bottle of Sémillon matches your dish? Scan the label in the SommelierX app and see the match instantly.
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Frequently asked questions
- What does Sémillon taste like?
- Averaged across the styles in our database, Sémillon shows fresh acidity, is medium-bodied and exuberantly fruity, with barely any tannin. It varies by style: see the overview above.
- What food goes with Sémillon?
- The highest scores in our sommelier work: Sea bream, Cabrales, Stilton. The full list is above.
- Is Sémillon a white wine?
- In our database Sémillon is mostly made as a white wine (17 linked styles); regional exceptions exist.