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Marsanne (grape)
Encyclopedia
Marsanne is a white wine
grape
, most commonly found in the Northern Rhône region. It is often blended with Roussanne
. In Savoie the grape is known as grosse roussette. Outside France it is also grown in Switzerland (where it is known as ermitage blanc or just ermitage), Spain (where it is known as Marsana), Australia and the United States.
region where it is widely planted today. It is a principal component of the white wines from the Hermitage
, Crozes-Hermitage
and Saint-Joseph AOC
s. It is the most widely planted white wine grape in the Hermitage AOC
, where it is often blended with Roussanne. Along with Roussanne, up to 15% of Marsanne can be added to the red wine of Hermitage under Appellation d'origine contrôlée
(AOC) regulations. In the Saint-Péray AOC
, it is used for both still and sparkling wine
production. In the Southern Rhone, Marsanne is not one of the white grapes permitted in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC
, although Roussanne is. (In Châteauneuf-du-Pape blends, Clairette blanc
adds similar characteristics as Marsanne.) It can be found in some white wines from the Côtes du Rhône AOC
. Although Marsanne is mostly made into a dry wine, some producers in the Rhône have also experimented with making a dessert
-style straw wine
with Marsanne.
Outside the Northern Rhône region, Marsanne is also found in Savoie and in the Languedoc
where it is often blended with Viognier
. It is a permitted grape in the Provence wine
of Cassis though it is not widely used.
in the 1860s. The Victorian vineyard of Tahbilk
has Marsanne vines which date back to 1927 and are some of the oldest in the world. In Switzerland
, Marsanne is grown in Valais
, where it produces steely white wines with high alcohol levels. In Washington State, plantings of Marsanne continue to increase as producers blend it with Roussanne and Viognier
. Varietal
Marsanne from Washington has been shown to have notes of ripe white peach and spiced pear
. In California, the Rhone Rangers
movement introduced Marsanne to more consumers in wines that are often blended with Roussanne and Viognier. In Spain there are some plantings of Marsanne in the northeast.
Marsanne just before it hits full ripeness. Some Australian winemakers prefer to let the grape hang longer on the vine to increase the alcohol level of the wine and its aging potential.
and pear
. Often Australian Marsanne has aromas of melon, honeysuckle and sometimes glue
. The wines can be high in alcohol and can be oak aged to develop more body. As Marsanne ages, the wine takes on an even darker color and the flavors can become more complex and concentrated with an oily, honeyed texture. Aromas of nuts
and quince
can also develop.
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
, most commonly found in the Northern Rhône region. It is often blended with Roussanne
Roussanne
Roussanne is a white wine grape grown originally in the Rhône wine region in France, where it is often blended with Marsanne. It is the only other white variety, besides Marsanne, allowed in the northern Rhône appellations of Crozes-Hermitage AOC, Hermitage AOC and Saint-Joseph AOC...
. In Savoie the grape is known as grosse roussette. Outside France it is also grown in Switzerland (where it is known as ermitage blanc or just ermitage), Spain (where it is known as Marsana), Australia and the United States.
Wine regions
The grape most likely originated in the Northern RhoneRhône (wine region)
The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône river valley and produces numerous wines under various Appellation d'origine contrôlée designations...
region where it is widely planted today. It is a principal component of the white wines from the Hermitage
Hermitage AOC
Hermitage is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France south of Lyon. It produces mostly red wine from the Syrah grape; however, small quantities of white wine are also produced from Roussane and Marsanne grapes...
, Crozes-Hermitage
Crozes-Hermitage AOC
Crozes-Hermitage is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France. The appellation is the largest in the northern Rhone, and its wines are less highly regarded than those from the nearby appellations of Côte-Rôtie or its near-namesake Hermitage...
and Saint-Joseph AOC
Saint-Joseph AOC
Saint-Joseph or St.-Joseph is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France. Though the appellation covers the largest amount of land, it is second in actual size under vine to Crozes-Hermitage, an appellation with which it shares much regarding style...
s. It is the most widely planted white wine grape in the Hermitage AOC
Hermitage AOC
Hermitage is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France south of Lyon. It produces mostly red wine from the Syrah grape; however, small quantities of white wine are also produced from Roussane and Marsanne grapes...
, where it is often blended with Roussanne. Along with Roussanne, up to 15% of Marsanne can be added to the red wine of Hermitage under Appellation d'origine contrôlée
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
(AOC) regulations. In the Saint-Péray AOC
Saint-Péray AOC
Saint-Péray is a French wine Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the northern Rhône wine region of France. Located in the southernmost part of Northern Rhône, the appellation is very small and not widely known. The production is mainly white sparkling wine, somewhat like Champagne. However, some...
, it is used for both still and sparkling wine
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
production. In the Southern Rhone, Marsanne is not one of the white grapes permitted in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC
Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a French wine Appellation d'origine contrôlée located around the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône wine region in southeastern France. It is the most renowned appellation of the southern part of the Rhône Valley...
, although Roussanne is. (In Châteauneuf-du-Pape blends, Clairette blanc
Clairette Blanc
Clairette blanche is a white wine grape variety most widely grown in the wine regions of Provence, Rhône and Languedoc in France. At the end of the 1990s, there were of Clairette Blanche grown in France, although volumes are decreasing....
adds similar characteristics as Marsanne.) It can be found in some white wines from the Côtes du Rhône AOC
Côtes du Rhône AOC
Côtes du Rhône is a wine-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for the Rhône wine region of France, which may be used throughout the region, also in those areas which are covered by other AOCs...
. Although Marsanne is mostly made into a dry wine, some producers in the Rhône have also experimented with making a dessert
Dessert wine
Dessert wines are sweet wines typically served with dessert.There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal, as opposed to the white fortified wines drunk before the meal, and the red fortified wines drunk after it...
-style straw wine
Straw wine
Straw wine, or raisin wine, is a wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice. The result is similar to that of the ice wine process, but suitable for warmer climates. The classic method dries clusters of grapes on mats of straw in the sun, but some regions dry them under...
with Marsanne.
Outside the Northern Rhône region, Marsanne is also found in Savoie and in the Languedoc
Languedoc wine
Languedoc - Roussillon wine, including the vin de pays labeled Vin de Pays d'Oc, is produced in southern France. While "Languedoc" can refer to a specific historic region of France and Northern Catalonia, usage since the 20th century has primarily referred to the northern part of the...
where it is often blended with Viognier
Viognier
Viognier is a white wine grape. It is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone valley.-History:The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown. Viognier is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in Dalmatia and then brought to Rhône by the Romans. One legend...
. It is a permitted grape in the Provence wine
Provence wine
Provence wine comes from the French wine-producing region of Provence in southeast France. The Romans called the area nostra provincia , giving the region its name...
of Cassis though it is not widely used.
Outside France
In Australia, the grape was first planted in VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in the 1860s. The Victorian vineyard of Tahbilk
Tahbilk
Tahbilk is the oldest family owned winery in Victoria, Australia, established in 1860.Tahbilk is part of Australian wine alliance Australia’s First Families of Wine a multi-million-dollar venture to help resurrect the fortunes of the $6 billion industry highlighting the quality and diversity of...
has Marsanne vines which date back to 1927 and are some of the oldest in the world. In Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Marsanne is grown in Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
, where it produces steely white wines with high alcohol levels. In Washington State, plantings of Marsanne continue to increase as producers blend it with Roussanne and Viognier
Viognier
Viognier is a white wine grape. It is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone valley.-History:The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown. Viognier is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in Dalmatia and then brought to Rhône by the Romans. One legend...
. Varietal
Varietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
Marsanne from Washington has been shown to have notes of ripe white peach and spiced pear
Pear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
. In California, the Rhone Rangers
Rhone Rangers
The Rhone Rangers are a group of winemakers who promote the use of grape varieties from the Rhône Valley in the south of France. They are mostly based in the Central Coast of California and are now organized into a not-for-profit organization for the promotion of wines containing at least 75% of...
movement introduced Marsanne to more consumers in wines that are often blended with Roussanne and Viognier. In Spain there are some plantings of Marsanne in the northeast.
Viticulture
While not as temperamental as the Roussanne grape, Marsanne is prone to underperform in less than ideal sites. In climates that are too hot, the grape can overripen and produce wine that is very flabby. In places that are too cool, the grape cannot ripen fully and produces wine with a bland and neutral flavor. In order to maintain a high level of acidity, winemakers try to harvestHarvest (wine)
The harvesting of wine grapes is one of the most crucial steps in the process of winemaking. The time of harvest is determined primarily by the ripeness of the grape as measured by sugar, acid and tannin levels with winemakers basing their decision to pick based on the style of wine they wish to...
Marsanne just before it hits full ripeness. Some Australian winemakers prefer to let the grape hang longer on the vine to increase the alcohol level of the wine and its aging potential.
Wines
Marsanne produces deeply colored wines that are rich and nutty, with hints of spiceSpice
A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. It may be used to flavour a dish or to hide other flavours...
and pear
Pear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
. Often Australian Marsanne has aromas of melon, honeysuckle and sometimes glue
Glue
This is a list of various types of glue. Historically, the term "glue" only referred to protein colloids prepared from animal flesh. The meaning has been extended to refer to any fluid adhesive....
. The wines can be high in alcohol and can be oak aged to develop more body. As Marsanne ages, the wine takes on an even darker color and the flavors can become more complex and concentrated with an oily, honeyed texture. Aromas of nuts
Nut (fruit)
A nut is a hard-shelled fruit of some plants having an indehiscent seed. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts...
and quince
Quince
The quince , or Cydonia oblonga, is the sole member of the genus Cydonia and native to warm-temperate southwest Asia in the Caucasus region...
can also develop.