The Perfect Summer Duo

One of my pet summer-time wine blends is Marsanne and Roussane.   Rarely vinified as a 100% varietal, these two white Rhone grapes create a perfect marriage of color, aroma, flavor and texture.   I believe that a Marsanne and Roussane blend is a spot-on example of Aristotle’s quote, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”  That being said, let’s examine those parts.

The Roussane grape produces a powerful white wine.   Probably named for its russet-colored grape skin, Roussane creates a deep golden wine.  On the nose, this Rhone varietal offers floral notes, along with peaches and pears.  When allowed to fully ripen there can even be pineapple and mango.  Less ripe fruit offers more delicate herbal nuances. Usually quite rich in texture, Roussane can develop an almost exotic silky, or velvet-like body.  

                                Roussane's color pigments deepen the color of its wine

Roussane in some ways could actually be thought of as a red wine masquerading as a white.   By that I mean that Roussane has a good tannin structure.  These tannins also allow Roussane to age more than other whites without such a tannin structure.  Great Roussanes such as those from the Rhone’s Hermitage, are opulent, elegant, complex, and evocative wines.  

Marsanne, like Roussane, is native to the Rhone Valley.   The most planted white grape in the Northern Rhone, Marsanne also produces deeply colored wines that heighten in color intensity as they age.  Flavor profiles include a nuttiness (think almonds), along with white flowers and citrus or melon.  Like Roussane, Marsanne also has an impressive rich texture.  

                                  France's Rhone Valley is the birthplace of both grapes

While both of these varietals are the back bone of the Rhone Valley’s white wines, they are also grown along California’s coast, Washington state, British Columbia, and Australia.   Most of the time the two grapes are paired together to create the perfect cuvee.  Marrying the best qualities of the duo often produces a fabulous mélange for the summer….or winter!   Here are some of my favorite Roussane-Marsanne blends from the central coast of California:  Jaffus, Sine Qua Non and Stolpman.

Enjoy your summer!