Marsanne

APPEARANCE

ON THE VINE: this white grape grows prolifically, with its vigour contributing to its popularity.

IN THE GLASS: Marsanne makes a deep-coloured, golden wine which is prone to browning.

 

SMELL

Tasters say its aromas are of glue and hints of honeysuckle tinged with almond nuttiness.

TASTE

A full-bodied wine which is often earthy and fairly dull when young but can develop peachy/nutty flavours with some herbiness when aged. At its best, the wine can be high in extract and alcohol.

ORIGIN

Believed to have originated in the northern Rhône, it has traditionally been blended with Roussanne in Hermitage wines but is increasingly being used on its own. It has found favour with growers in the Midi in southern France, where it is often blended with fragrant Viognier.

IN SOUTH AFRICA

In the early '70s, Marsanne was one of the more unusual varieties cultivated on a limited experimental scale but it was rejected as being unsuitable for local conditions and has since all but disappeared from the local scene.

ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD

It was being used experimentally by some of California's Rhône rangers, while the state of Victoria in Australia is home to some of the world's oldest Marsanne vineyards. The Swiss use it to make a light wine, Ermitage Blanc – other synonyms include Avilleran, Grosse Roussette, Hermitage Blanc.

BEST EXAMPLES

White St-Joseph is made almost exclusively from Marsanne planted in the north of the appellation. Theoretically up to 15% of white grapes may be added during the making of red Hermitage. This seldom happens nowadays because of the ready market for white Hermitage. It's the main element of St-Péray, both still and sparkling, and some Côtes-du-Rhône producers such as Château du Trignon at Sablet have some planted.

AGEING POTENTIAL

Old-fashioned examples such as Chateau Tahbilk have shown the ability to age in bottle, although this might be attributable to older plantings where Marsanne was 'pre-blended' in the vineyard with other varieties. Nowadays the tendency is to ferment cleaner and faster, though in both France and Australia it is still oak-aged in some cases. Unless harvested early, as it is in Australia, Marsanne is usually too heavy to produce a wine that will age well.

MATCHING WITH FOOD

The lighter styles complement salads, cold meats and delicate seafood dishes, while the heavier wines go well with more robust fare, such as chicken or pork.

SERVING TEMPERATURE

Between 8° and 14° C.