Last Friday we had the opportunity to visit Mt. Boucherie Winery for the release of their 2013 Sémillon. Led by winemaker Jim Faulkner and his team, Mt. Boucherie Winery produces 25,000 cases of wine annually featuring elegant whites, luscious reds and delightful Icewines. For general background information on the winery see my earlier post here.
It was a first-class evening at the winery. Chef Ross Derrick of Codfathers had prepared an excellent selection of seafood delights – tuna tacos, shrimp with gazpacho and an awesome selection of oysters from BC and PEI. While we were enjoying the food and wine, music was provided by Stevie Todd.
Sémillon
Sémillon is a very popular white grape in the country of my birth, Australia. I have very fond memories of my youth quaffing Hunter Valley Sémillon with fresh oysters and steamed mussels. This grape is thick-skinned, relatively easy to cultivate with a good resistance to disease and ripens early. Sémillon can produce wines that are low in acid and without a distinctive taste, and this is why it is often blended with the more aromatic and flavorful Sauvignon Blanc. According to the last BC wine acreage report, there are less than 50 acres of Sémillon planted and it represents less than 1% of the total BC white wine grape production. Other awards winning BC producers of 100% Sémillon are Lake Breeze, Black Hills Estate and Bench 1775.
Mt. Boucherie Sémillon 2013
The grapes were sourced from the Similkameen valley. Stainless steel fermentation only for freshness. Citrus aromas – lemon, lemongrass, mandarin orange. On the palate crisp, vibrant and well balanced with a long finish. The wine should pick up honey notes as it ages but is fabulous right now with seafood. Compares well with my favourite Hunter Valley Séms – Brokenwood, Tyrrell and Silkman.
I had a chance to talk to Peter Contos, the Sales and Marketing Manager, about their future plans. He commented that Mt. Boucherie would like to increase their Sémillon production (currently around 1000 cases annually) and have sufficient grapes to also blend with Sauvignon Blanc to make a classic Bordeaux white.
