Roussanne – enchanting and intoxicating when ripe and well made
An excerpt from Daring pairings by Evan Goldstein
daring pairings by Evan Goldstein
Roussanne is a grape that you should definitely know. Sadly, this rich, honeyed grape is quickly disappearing from the vineyards of Hermitage and other appellations in the northern Rhône Valley where it once held court.
It is difficult to ripen and grow, and its tendency to oxidize provides vintners with challenges at every turn.
Amazingly, even though it comes off as rich and exotic, with an apparent lack of structure that makes it seem as if it’s falling apart, it can hold that pose for years, even decades. A permitted component of white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, roussanne is sharper and more flamboyant than its sibling marsanne, which it is paired with in the northern Rhône but separated from in the south.
Alternative Names barbin, bergeron, grefon, picotin blanc, rebelot (France), rosana(Italy)
Styles Medium-full to full-bodied dry white, medium-bodied sparkling (not widely available)
Sometimes Blended With bourboulenc, clairette, grenache blanc, marsanne (France), trebbiano (Italy), chardonnay, marsanne, viognier (Australia, U.S.A.)
Flavor Lexicon Fruit: Citrus rind, white cherry, yellow apple, yellow pear. Floral: Fresh herbs, green coffee beans, herbal tea, honeysuckle, sweet citrus blossoms. Other: Honey
Similar Sips viognier, full-bodied fruit-forward chardonnay, rich sémillon-chardonnay blends
Where It’s Grown Australia (Victoria), France (Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence, Rhône Valley, Savoie), Italy (Liguria, Tuscany), U.S.A. (California: Sierra Foothills, Sonoma County [Russian River], Southern Central Coast [Paso Robles]; Washington: Columbia Valley)
Like its sibling marsanne, roussanne is native to France’s Rhône Valley. Roussanne is a more difficult grape to grow and thus has fallen out of favor with growers who seek a predictable crop. It is used, like marsanne, in small percentages as a blending grape for some of the key northern Rhône reds, like Hermitage, and as a component of the lovely white wines of St.-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage. It is also the essential component in the rare but captivating Hermitage Blanc.
Roussanne has a rich and exotic aroma reminiscent of white cherries, chamomile tea, and fresh herbs, with nuances of bitter citrus peel. It is enchanting and intoxicating when ripe and well made, and it adds aromatics to marsanne’s textured but less showy personality. In St.-Péray, it is a component of the appellation’s medium-bodied sparkling wines, though it’s far less prevalent than marsanne.
Roussanne’s aromatics can add a lot to these otherwise well-made but often uninspiring wines. In the southern Rhône, roussanne is a key component of white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, contributing its unique perfume to this often underappreciated white wine. So good can this grape be that it’s occasionally bottled locally as a varietal wine, which can be stunning, especially when the grapes come from older vines.
In Provence, a specific clone of the variety, Roussanne du Var, produces a wine that’s more blush than deep straw yellow, but the wines are lackluster, and it’s really just a blending grape.
Roussanne should not be confused with the Provencal grape roussette, which is a different variety. In the mountainous Savoie region, where it’s known as bergeron, roussanne can make very aromatic wines. It is also found in France’s Southwest and can add intrigue to the white wine blends of this vast region.
In Italy, roussanne is grown in Liguria and blended with trebbiano in the white Montecarlo Bianco.
In Australia, roussanne, like marsanne and viognier, performs quite well in Victoria, where it is made into a varietal wine and also forms a part of a white Rhône-style blend. This approach is similar to that in California, where growers in the Central Coast’s Paso Robles and Santa Barbara areas have done a magnificent job with the grape. Blends of roussanne and viognier produce wines with captivating floral and fruit aromatics.
Vintner’s Choices Oak vs. no oak, single variety vs. blended, still vs. sparkling, young vs. old vines
Sexy as it is by itself, unblended roussanne is relatively rare. However, it is occasionally vinified into a varietal wine, like that produced by Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It is sometimes exposed to oak to emphasize its unique personality, which is all the more evident in grapes from older vines. However, oak aging and old vines remain unusual in roussanne production. Some California producers are experimenting successfully with newer oak in roussanne-based blends.
Traditionally roussanne has been blended with marsanne, as in the northern Rhône, or with three other grapes – grenache blanc, clairette, and bourboulenc.
New World producers, however, are experimenting with blends that incorporate the very forward viognier and even a little chardonnay. These exciting wines are explosive and food-friendly, being rich as well as aromatic. The sweet-spice profiles of oak can benefit these evocative wines.
Younger vines are the rule in California; in Australia, some very old roussanne vines survive in Victoria. Curiously, the older the vines, the greater the wine’s capacity to age. Although its rich, fragrant relatives (marsanne and viognier) are comparatively short-lived, roussanne seems to be capable of aging gracefully if produced from old vines and well stored.
Reproduced with permission of University of California Press © Evan Goldstein 2010
Read our full review of Daring Pairings here »
Daring Pairings by Evan Goldstein is published by University of California Press (Berkeley and LA; 2010; hb 353 pp) and retails for RRP US$34.95 or RRP A$55.95 in Australia.
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