Comparison
Sémillon vs Vermentino
How Sémillon and Vermentino differ, dimension by dimension.
The short answer
The main differences: Sémillon has more sweetness; Vermentino has more herbal / green character; Vermentino has more aromatic intensity.
Choose
Sémillon
Choose Sémillon if you want something sweeter, more oaky, rounder and creamier in texture.
Choose
Vermentino
Choose Vermentino if you want something more herbal and green, more aromatic, fresher.
Where they genuinely differ
Only differences large enough to notice in the glass are listed here. A gap of half a point on a five-point scale is noise, and WineHQ does not dress it up as a finding.
Sweetness
Clear differencePerceived sugar in the finished wine, driven mainly by residual sugar but modified by acidity, alcohol and fruit ripeness.
Sémillon is sweeter: medium against low.
Herbal / green character
Clear differenceHerbs, grass, blackcurrant leaf, capsicum and other green notes, largely driven by methoxypyrazines and picking decisions.
Vermentino is more herbal and green: medium against low.
Aromatic intensity
Clear differenceHow strongly the wine smells before it is tasted. Some grapes are intrinsically aromatic; others express mainly on the palate.
Vermentino is more aromatic: medium against low-medium.
Oak influence
Clear differencePerceptible impact of barrel or alternative oak contact — vanilla, toast, coconut, smoke, cedar and added texture.
Sémillon is more oaky: medium against low-medium.
Perceived freshness
Clear differenceThe overall impression of liveliness — a composite of acidity, alcohol balance, fruit character and the absence of tiredness. Distinct from raw acidity: a wine can be high in acid yet taste heavy.
Vermentino is fresher: medium-plus against medium.
Texture
Clear differenceMouthfeel independent of weight — from lean and cutting through to creamy, waxy or velvety. Driven by lees contact, malolactic conversion, skin contact and ageing.
Sémillon is rounder and creamier in texture: medium-plus against medium.
Where they are much the same
Just as useful: knowing which parts of the choice do not matter.
- Acidity: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Tannin: Similar — both low.
- Alcohol: Similar — both medium.
- Body: Similar — both medium.
- Fruit intensity: Similar — both medium.
Full side by side
| Dimension | Sémillon | Vermentino |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetness | typically medium, ranging from low to high (3/5) | low (1/5) |
| Herbal / green character | low (1/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Aromatic intensity | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Oak influence | typically medium, ranging from low to medium-plus (3/5) | typically low-medium, ranging from low to low-medium (2/5) |
| Perceived freshness | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Texture | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to high (4/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) |
| Acidity | typically medium-plus, ranging from low-medium to high (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Tannin | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Alcohol | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Body | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium (3/5) |
| Fruit intensity | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Savoury character | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Floral character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Spice | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Earthy character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Carbonation | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Serve at | 11–14°C | 10–13°C |
| Typical flavours | lemon, lanolin, beeswax, honey, toast | lime, green almond, sea salt, wild fennel, grapefruit |
Values are typical points within each wine’s range. Both wines vary — see the individual pages for how much.
Read more
Grape
Sémillon
A thin-skinned, botrytis-prone variety essential to Sauternes and to a unique long-lived dry style in the Hunter Valley.
Grape
Vermentino
A saline, citrusy Mediterranean white grown in Sardinia, Liguria, Tuscany and Provence.
Comparison
Sémillon vs Sauvignon Blanc
The two halves of white Bordeaux — what does each contribute?