Sauvignon’s Little Secret

California winemakers boast about their Chardonnays, but for my money, in the last few years far greater strides have been made in Sauvignon Blanc. There is a secret reason why.

That reason is Semillon. This little-known grape has become the key to pumping up the complexity of Sauvignon Blancs in the last few years. Even as little as 10% Semillon in a Sauvignon Blanc has a way of lengthening the aroma and texture of the wine, making it more interesting.

California wineries now see the virtues of blending Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon to make a wine that can be better than either grape on its own. Prices for a few of these wines (mainly small production items) can be high, but it’s usually worth the extra expenditure.

There are many examples of stylish Sauvignon Blancs and Semillons made as 100% varietals, but when blended, the two grapes often produce a wine that has the crispness of the former grape and the voluptuousness of the latter. Such blends can also have the crisp, lemon, herbal notes of the Sauvignon Blanc together with hints of melon, honey and fig from the Semillon.

Some wineries also use special production techniques to develop added layers of flavor and texture. To test them, I tasted 22 Sauvignon Blancs that had been blended with Semillon and found a wide range of styles and a lot of great wines.

Among the best was the 1990 Gainey Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc “Limited Release” ($16), with 13% Semillon. It has an aroma of dried figs, olives and flowers, and has a hazelnut finish. Just 400 cases of this wonderfully complex wine were produced.

Simi Winery’s 1990 Sauvignon Blanc ($8.75) has 11% Semillon, and 40% of the wine was barrel-fermented--some of it in new French oak. The result is a rich, flavorful wine with hints of fresh green beans, olives, lemons and a trace of grass.

The 1990 Silverado Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc ($9) has just 7% Semillon, but it is superb Semillon, from the cool Carneros region. Almost half the wine went through malolactic fermentation to broaden its scope, and a portion of it spent five months in new French oak barrels. Here is an aroma of melons, a trace of new-mown hay and figs--fascinating complexity.

I also liked the 1990 Beringer Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc “Knight’s Valley” ($9), with 21% Semillon, but it is distinctly herbal in aroma, with hints of dried tarragon and bell pepper. For those who prefer the herbal style of Sauvignon Blancs, this one has loads of flavor.

Another wine with complexity is 1991 Preston Vineyards “Cuve de Fume” ($9.50), with strong flowery, melon, pear and hay elements and a complex finish that shows off its 12% Semillon and French oak aging.

Caymus Vineyards’ 1990 “Conundrum” ($17), a blended wine that has received excellent reviews in some quarters, is a curiosity to me. I find the wine strange. As constituted--Sauvignon Blanc blended with Chardonnay and Muscat--it makes no statement as a Sauvignon Blanc-type of wine. It’s tasty, but I’m not sure what to make of it.

Some wineries are blending roughly equal parts of the two varieties to make an even stronger statement. One of the first of the blends was made a decade ago by Vichon Winery. First called “Chevrier,” now called “Chevrignon,” every year it’s one of the best wines of its type.

Guenoc Winery in Lake County calls its blend “Langtry” after the 19th-Century actress Lillie Langtry, who once owned the property in Guenoc Valley. De Lorimier Winery in Alexander Valley, owned by pediatric surgeon Dr. Al De Lorimier, uses proprietary names on all its wines and calls its white blend “Spectrum.”

Other Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blends come from Concannon Vineyards (“Assemblage”), Konocti Winery (“Meritage”), Benziger of Glenn Ellen (“Tribute”) and Babcock Vineyards (“Fathom”). The latter is a stylish wine with a trace of Gewurztraminer added for depth.

Joseph Phelps Vineyards has a wonderful 1990 white blended wine that as yet as no proprietary name added to it. It should be released later this year.

Two of the best blended wines on the market each year are Flora Springs Winery’s “Soliloquy” and Merryvale Vineyard’s “Meritage,” both of which are almost all Sauvignon Blanc. Both are also exceptional wines with exciting flavors and wonderful texture and finesse.

Now comes 1990 Hidden Cellars’ “Alchemy,” a blend of 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Semillon. The small Mendocino winery has used long barrel aging (10 months) to craft a stylish white wine that offers an intriguing aroma of grapefruit and pears with a trace of herbs and a faint hint of hazelnuts. Only 500 cases were made.

As more winemakers experiment with Semillon blended into their Sauvignon Blancs, these wines will become the bargains in a world overpopulated with overpriced Chardonnay.