We think it is safe to say there are only two countries in the world that can effectively coax out the true and distinctive characters of the Semillon grape. They are France and Australia.

At the highest French level, the Bordelais generally blend Semillon with Sauvignon Blanc and produce delicate dry Graves and long-lived and sublime sweet Sauternes.

At the other end of the scale in France, I will quote Robert Joseph in saying that they also have the ability to produce "over-sulphured stuff that tastes like old dish cloths."

In Australia the grape if beautifully developed in the Hunter Valley, the Riverina and, of course, Margaret River.

In other New World areas the grape doesn't seem to have achieved its potential and often tastes a bit too much like Sauvignon Blanc.

Semillon, like reisling, tends to straddle the years when it comes to aging. When well made, the same wine can be drunk as a vibrant youngster or well into its golden dotage. As a youth, it will have citrus, melon, grassy, peach, flinty and grapefruit flavours (to name just a few). When older, the same wine develops marmalade, fig, spice, nut, buttery, honey and capsicum nuances.

Indeed, there is almost a time when the wine undergoes a wonderful transformation in bottle, and one suddenly has an almost entirely different, yet often even better, wine in one's cellar.

It is difficult to define when this miraculous transmogrification takes place, but five years will generally suffice to see the magic start to occur. This taste development also allows the wine to be consumed with a variety of foods based on its age.

The maritime conditions in Margaret River are ideally suited to growing Semillon. Some wineries blend the variety with Sauvignon Blanc and produce highly memorable wines. The variety is also used in the Margaret River Classic blend produced by several regional wineries.

But all in all, the stand-alone Margaret River Semillon is the best representation of the grape. The richness of character and delightfully textured mouth-feel that appears in most Margaret River Semillon is unique. Here's a few MR wineries which consistently produce great Semillon. Abbey Vale, Arlewood, Ashbrook, Driftwood Estate, Hay Shed Hill, Moss Wood, Ribbon Vale, Vasse Felix, Voyager.