There has been renewed interest in the Marsanne grape variety in Australia over the past decade. For many years the best known example was from Chateau Tahbilk in the Nagambie Lakes region of Central Victoria. The 'Chateau' has disappeared from the winery name but the wine just goes on improving.

This variety is a native to the Hermitage area in the Rhone Valley where it is often blended with Roussanne. It is one of eight grape varieties permitted in the Cotes de Rhone appellation.

Wines made with this variety improve markedly with bottle age. It is less common for white wines to improve with bottle age, but wines made from this variety are exceptions.

With age Marsanne wine develops a beautiful golden colour and the flavour rounds out to something resembling baked apples.

For this reason Tahbilk, the most prominent producer of this wine in Australia, have two releases of the wine. At the time of writing you can get the 2006 vintage as well as the 2000. The older wines are showing the early effects of aging but will keep much longer given good cellaring conditions. In fact, Tahbilk's newsletter of July August 2007 suggests that all of the Tahbilk Marsanne wines since 1992 are still are either still improving, or are now ready to drink. So put aside a bottle of this fine wine for ten years or so and see what happens. It is worthwhile joining the Tahbilk wine club to keep your stocks of Marsanne up.

Some wineries such as Torbeck in the Barossa Valley and Mitchelton in the Nagambie Lakes are producing a Marsanne Viognier Roussanne Blend. D'Arenberg of McLaren Vale are producing a Marsanne Viognier with the intriguing name of The Hermit Crab.

The following Australian wineries are using Marsanne. It is a now variety on the move out of its long term enclave at Tahbilk.

Find out how to order this great wine and get bonuses as a friend of Darby

• Akrasi Wines Central Victoria Zone
• All Saints Estate Rutherglen
• Banca Ridge Granite Belt
• Barwon Ridge Wines Geelong
• Battely Wines Beechworth
• Beechtree Wines McLaren Vale
• Beelgara Estate Riverina
• Bents Road Granite Belt
• Bianchet Yarra Valley
• Botobolar Mudgee
• Bullers Calliope Rutherglen
• Calais Estate Hunter Valley
• Cape Horn Vineyard Goulburn Valley
• Cape Mentelle Margaret River
• Charlies Estate Wines Swan Valley
• Churchview Estate Margaret River
• Connor Park Bendigo
• Coombe Farm Vineyard Yarra Valley
• Crane Wines South Burnett
• Cypress Post Granite Belt
• D'Arenberg McLaren Vale
• Dalfaras Nagambie Lakes
• Del Rios Geelong
• Delaney's Creek Winery and Vineyard Sunshine Coast
• Djinta Djinta Gippsland
• Gilligan McLaren Vale
• Goulburn Terrace Nagambie Lakes
• Hanging Rock Winery Macedon Ranges
• Happs Margaret River
• Harman's Ridge Estate Margaret River
• Heathcote Winery Heathcote
• Jarrets of Orange Orange
• Jones Winery and Vineyard Rutherglen
• Kirwans Bridge Wines Nagambie Lakes
• Kooroomba Queensland Zone
• Lillian Pemberton
• Lindenton Wines Heathcote
• Little's Winery Hunter Valley
• M. Chapoutier Australia Mount Benson
• Marribrook Great Southern
• Mary Byrnes Wines Granite Belt
• McHenry Hohnen Margaret River
• McIvor Creek Heathcote
• McIvor Estate Heathcote
• McPherson Wines Nagambie Lakes
• Melaleuca Grove Upper Goulburn
• Mitchelton Nagambie Lakes
• Monument Vineyard Central Ranges Zone
• Mount Burrumboot Estate Heathcote
• Murray Street Vineyard Barossa Valley
• Penny's Hill McLaren Vale
• Peppin Ridge Upper Goulburn
• Pfeiffer Wines Rutherglen
• Piggs Peake Winery Hunter Valley
• Poachers Ridge Vineyards Mount Barker
• Ravensworth Wines Canberra
• Rimfire Vineyards Darling Downs
• Riverina Estate Wines Riverina
• Rutherglen Estates Rutherglen
• Saint Derycke's Wood Southern Highlands
• Seppelt Great Western Grampians
• Sirromet Queensland Coastal
• Spinifex Barossa Valley
• Stanton Estate Queensland Zone
• Stone Ridge Granite Belt
• Stumpy Gully Mornington Peninsula
• Summit Estate Granite Belt
• Tahbilk Nagambie Lakes
• Tallarook Wines Upper Goulburn
• Tamburlaine Hunter Valley
• Terra Felix Upper Goulburn
• Three Moon Creek Queensland Zone
• Torbreck Vintners Barossa Valley
• Turkey Flat Vineyards Barossa Valley
• Wandoo Farm Central Western Australian Zone
• Wanted Man Heathcote
• Waratah Vineyard Queensland Zone
• Warrabilla Wines Rutherglen
• Winewood Granite Belt
• Wirruna Estate North East Victoria
• Yalumba Wine Company Barossa Valley
• Yarra Glen Yarra Valley
• Yering Station Yarra Valley
• Yeringberg Yarra Valley