Berger: A wine that changed my life

In 1979 I walked into my favorite wine shop and asked the merchant, whom I knew, for a white wine that I hadn't tasted before.

I was then a chardonnay lover who had dabbled in sauvignon blanc, so was surprised when he led me to a shelf of white Bordeaux wines and grabbed a bottle that cost $11; $4 more than my favorite chardonnay.

"Try this," he said. "It will change your life."

It did. The wine was 1971 Chateau Laville Haut-Brion, a white Graves, made largely from semillon with some sauvignon blanc and a tiny bit of the floral grape muscadelle.

Over the years, I have had some startling Graves and many other white wines that had Semillon in them. The Hunter Valley of Australia is widely known for the greatness of its semillon wines, and the grape (blends with sauvignon blanc) also makes some special wines in the United States.

But as with a number of other less well known grape varieties, such wines rarely get any attention by magazines and newsletters, and that is mainly because the wines tend to be hard to understand.

For one thing, the best thing to do with a Graves, or an Australian semillon, is not to drink it. At least right away. They are at their best with bottle age, and few people have the patience to stash young white wines.

So few white wines are made to be aged that most people drink up their Aussie semillons and Graves far too young and make the assumption that these lean, flavorless and tart wines are of no use.

They're simply drinking them too young. One reason I liked the 1971 Laville Haut-Brion was that I had it when it was 8 years old, still far too young, but at least with a bit of bottle age. (Today a bottle of 2008 Laville Haut-Brion would be about $350 to $400.)

Over the years, I have had many great semillon experiences and recently found a few American producers making major statements with such wines, and not just drink-now versions. Some have long-aging potential.

One key point with semillons harvested to make aging wines: they offer delicate aromas and tastes. You have to look for subtlety rather than overt elements. Among the aromas evident in the best semillons are chamomile tea, figs, lanolin, hay and white pepper. Not exactly muscat.

In time, the best of these develop superb length and complexity. One of the best from Australia is from Brokenwood; older bottlings are simply superb.

One key to buying semillon, and blends containing it, is that the best are usually low in alcohol. Some of the best in Australia are in the 11 percent range, yet they age nicely based on great acidity.

Among the best recent U.S. attempts to make a dry wine from semillon with sauvignon blanc as a helper:

2011 Buty, 60 percent semillon, 19 percent sauvignon, 21 percent muscadelle, Columbia Valley ($25): Light aromas of hay, tea and subtle spice notes. The flavors are spot-on for a young wine, and it is made to be aged about 5-6 more years. Superb.

2010 Clos du Val "Ariadne," Napa Valley ($28): A terrific wine based on 68 percent semillon. It has always aged well for a decade. Always reliable.

2012 Cadaretta SBS, Columbia Valley ($23): A dramatic and more floral version with 75 percent sauvignon blanc and only 25 percent semillon. Wildflowers and fig notes mark the aroma, and the wine is best now with food but will benefit from at least five years in the cellar. The wine was designed by a great Aussie winemaker.

Wine of the Week: 2012 Andis Semillon, Amador County ($19) - Winemaker Mark McKenna designed this 100 percent semillon with Australia in mind, harvesting fruit early and making a floral (!) version with superb acidity for aging. The wine is delicate yet has distinctive flavors, perfect for serving with Thai foods. A dramatic new wine from an unlikely location.

Sonoma County resident Dan Berger publishes "Vintage Experiences," a weekly wine newsletter. Write to him at winenut@gmail.com.