According to Berry Bros. & Rudd, Semillon is:
The main grape for Sauternes and particularly successfully grown in Australia's Hunter Valley. Hunter Valley Sémillon is one of Australia's iconic and unique wines, totally unlike any wine produced elsewhere in the world from the same grape variety. In youth the wines are quite citrusy and fresh, but are generally perceived to gain hugely in complexity as they age and are deemed to be best drunk when at least 5 years old, frequently lasting for 10 or more years. Unusually for Australia, the alcohol levels rarely exceed 11.5%.
In Bordeaux it is the most widely planted white grape and is blended with Sauvignon Blanc to produce the great long-lived dry whites of Graves as well as the great sweet wines of Sauternes. It is high in alcohol and extract and relatively low in aroma and acidity. Its thin skin makes it very susceptible to botrytis which is the prerequisite for the making of Sauternes. It responds well to oak aging and, while having a light lemony aroma when young, develops lanolin flavours which some describe as "waxy," as well as rich, creamy, intense, texture and a deep golden colour."
Semillon is not widely planted in Italy, with only 31 ha of vines sprinkled across mainly central and southern regions (see map below) and with only two of the wines rated DOC.
In the regions where the variety is allowed, the wines are either part of a Bianco blend, made as a varietal (min 85%), or as a part of a dual-variety blend (either 85% or 15% of the blend).
The estate had been owned and farmed organically by a somewhat reclusive prince named Alberico Boncompagni Ludovisi who produced wheat, milk, cheese, and wine on the property. The estate's wine production was initially limited to regional varietals but, in 1946, the prince ripped out the local varieties and replaced them with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Semillon, and Malvasia Candia, varieties which were non-native and unfashionable in Italian wine-production circles.
Prince Ludovisi managed the vines of the estate to low yields which, in turn, allowed him to produce small quantities of concentrated, intense wines. These wines were vinified and aged in large, numbered barrels and bottled unfiltered when a customer made a purchase. The cellar and its contents were covered in a fine white mold which, the proprietor was convinced, contributed to the quality and uniqueness of the wine. The Prince's consultant in his efforts was the noted traditionalist -- and famed winemaker in his own right -- Tancredi Biondi-Santi.
Upon the Prince's death, the estate fell into disrepair. The wines, however, were eventually acquired by Sergio Esposito of Italian Wine Merchants (The same Sergio Esposito who purchased the old Biondi-Santi Riservas). The estate has been inherited by Alessia Antinori and her sister and they are in the process of reconstituting it.
I first tasted some of the old Fiorano wines at an Italian Wine Merchants tasting hosted by Alessia.
The white wines -- Fiorano 1995 #45 Bianco and Fiorano #48 Semillon -- were paired with a selection of cheeses. These wines had been vinified and aged in large, old casks and bottled upon demand. They all have oxidative characteristics, both in terms of color and taste, which, according to Alessia, makes them well suited to accompany cheeses. The wines had a certain earthiness and are well-suited to the enthusiast who is partial to character-driven wines.
I have also drunk a 1985 vintage of the Semillon which I described in my notes as dark gold in color and lively, earthy, and waxy.
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