Index
1- Semillon.
The semillon is a variety of French Origin, Bourdeaux. Excellent for use as sparkling base wines and with late harvests it can be used to make sweet wines.
2- Synonyms:
The semillon grape is also known as Crucillant, Sercial.
3- Characteristics of the semillon grape:
Bunches:
Large clusters of high compactness, with short peduncle and very marked shoulders, berries difficult to detach.
Berries:
Of fairly uniform thick size, with very vivid green epidermis that turns yellowish green when ripe, with an elliptical-circular section. With fine skin and little bloom, very sensitive to friction wounds. With pulp without pigmentation, soft and very juicy.
Strains:
Good vigor and high productivity, early flowering and late maturation.
4- Agronomic characteristics and adaptation to the viticultural environment:
- It is a variety very well adapted to all types of soils, differentiating itself in the aromas that are softer on psychic soils and more intense on calcareous soils.
- High fertility and productivity so it should be pruned in short thumbs and avoid rods in Guyot pruning.
- Sensitive to gray rot, which, when enhanced or inoculated on the ripening bunches, gives excellent sweets and peculiar liquor (sauternes type).
- It is a variety sensitive to mildew, black rot, wood diseases and especially tinder.
- Sensitive to cluster moths, leafhoppers and spider mites.
- Not very sensitive to powdery mildew and euthypiosis.
- It is quite resistant to cold spring, the sun and intense heat and even drought.
- With few magnesium requirements, it has a high demand for potassium, so its grafting on rootstocks sensitive to potassium deficiency such as 41-B, 1103 P and 140 Ru should be avoided.
5- Winemaking potential:
-This variety is the base of most of the white Bordeaux, whether of the dry type (Graves) or of the sweet ones and from grapes with botrytis (Sauternes), although these wines are almost always lacking in acidity.
-The young wines are herbaceous and very fruity.
-Aged the wines of this variety, they give high quality dry with toasted bread and honey flavor, very round and with enough density and body.
-Suitable for liqueurs.
Interesting articles on other grape varieties:
- Go to VitiViniCultura.net Home
- Know all the varieties of white wine grapes .
- The Chasselas grape
- All about the Pinot Blanc variety
- Read more about the Sylvaner wine grape
