# Created on 08/01/2024 9:45:45 AM

Marsanne wine variety in Australia

Marsanne is a white wine variety gaining popularity in Australia. 

For many years the best known example of wine made from this variety was from Chateau Tahbilk in the Nagambie Lakes region of Central Victoria. The 'Chateau' has disappeared from the winery name but the Marsanne wine just goes on improving.

Marsanne wine grape varietyMarsanne wine grape variety

This variety is a native to the Hermitage area in the Rhone Valley where it is often blended with other Rhone white varieties, and Roussanne and Viognier. 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 2017 vintage or wines from most vintages back to 2008.

The older wines are showing the early effects of ageing but will keep much longer given good cellaring conditions. So put aside a bottle of this fine wine for ten years or so and see what happens. 

What some Wine Writers say about Marsanne

Flavourful and potentially very high-quality light-skinned Rhone variety with notable outposts in Australia and the US.

Jancis Robinson

Wine Grapes

With age ... a rich palate of honeysuckle and jasmine, acacia honey and perhaps a touch of apricot and quince.

Oz Clarke

Grapes and Wines

Well made Marsanne is a real treat and can be wonderful with food 


Evan Goldstein

Daring Pairings

Australian WIneries using Marsanne

  • Alkimi Wines Yarra Valley
  • All Saints Estate Rutherglen
  • Angullong Wines Orange
  • Ansted & Co Bendigo
  • Armstead Estate Heathcote
  • Arundel Farm Sunbury
  • Badgers Brook Yarra Valley Yarra Valley
  • Barwon Ridge Wines Geelong
  • Beechtree Wines McLaren Vale
  • Ben Haines Wiens Yarra Valley
  • Bent Road Granite Belt
  • Bird On A Wine Yarra Valley
  • Bird on a Wine Yarra Valley
  • Brindabella Hills Canberra
  • Brumfield Yarra Valley
  • Bull Lane Wine Company Heathcote
  • Bullers Calliope Rutherglen
  • Campbells Wines Rutherglen
  • Cape Horn Vineyard Goulburn Valley
  • Cape Jaffa Mount Benson
  • Cape Mentelle Margaret River
  • Cassegrain Hastings River
  • Chateau Tanunda Barossa Valley
  • Churchview Estate Margaret River
  • Cofield Wines Rutherglen
  • Collector Wines Canberra
  • Coombe Farm Vineyard Yarra Valley
  • Cupitt's Winery Shoalhaven Coast
  • D'Arenberg McLaren Vale
  • Dalfarras Nagambie Lakes
  • De Bertolis Rutherglen Estates Rutherglen
  • Del Rios Geelong
  • Dionysus Winery Canberra
  • Djinta Djinta Gippsland
  • Dogrock Winery Pyrenees
  • Domenica Beechworth
  • ECK Wines Heathcote
  • Elderton Barossa Valley
  • Eldorado Road North East Victoria
  • Frankland Estate Frankland River
  • Frederick Stevenson Barossa Valley
  • Gilligan McLaren Vale
  • Glenlofty Pyrenees
  • Goulburn Terrace Nagambie Lakes
  • Happs Margaret River
  • Heathcote Winery Heathcote
  • Hemera Estate Barossa Valley
  • Heritage Estate Granite Belt
  • Hidden Creek Granite Belt
  • Honey Moon Vineyard Adelaide Hills
  • Horner Hunter Valley
  • Humis Heathcote
  • Jinks Creek Winery Gippsland
  • John Duval Wines Barossa Valley
  • Jones Winery and Vineyard Rutherglen
  • Keith Tulloch Wine Hunter Valley
  • Lake Cooper Heathcote
  • Langmeil Barossa Valley
  • Lark Hill Winery Canberra
  • Lino Ramble McLaren Vale
  • Little River Wines Swan Valley
  • Lome Bendigo
  • McHenry Hohnen Margaret River
  • McIvor Estate Heathcote
  • McPherson Wines Nagambie Lakes
  • Meera Park Hunter Valley
  • Mitchelton Nagambie Lakes
  • Monument Vineyard Central Ranges Zone
  • Mount Burrumboot Estate Heathcote
  • Mount Mary Yarra Valley
  • Mr Barval Fine Wines Margaret River
  • Munari Heathcote
  • Mundoo Ridge Riverland
  • Murray Street Vineyard Barossa Valley
  • Oxenbury Beechworth
  • Pankhurst Wines Canberra
  • Petersons Glenesk Estate Mudgee
  • Pfeiffer Wines Rutherglen
  • Piggs Peake Winery Hunter Valley
  • Pimpernel Vineyards Yarra Valley
  • Pirate Cru Barossa Valley
  • Place Of Changing Winds Macedon Ranges
  • Poachers Ridge Vineyards Mount Barker
  • Ravensworth Wines Canberra
  • Richard Hamilton Wines McLaren Vale
  • See Saw Wines Orange
  • Silent Way Macedon Ranges
  • Smallfry Wines Barossa Valley
  • Steinborner Family Vineyards Barossa Valley
  • Stumpy Gully Wines Mornington Peninsula
  • Summit Estate Granite Belt
  • Surveyor's Hill Winery Canberra
  • Syrahmi Heathcote
  • Tahbilk Nagambie Lakes
  • Tallarook Winery Upper Goulburn
  • Tamburlaine Hunter Valley
  • Tarrawarra Estate Yarra Valley
  • Tawonga Vineyard Alpine Valleys
  • Tellurian Heathcote
  • Tempus Two Hunter Valley
  • The Story Wines Grampians
  • Torbreck Vintners Barossa Valley
  • Trifon Estate Goulburn Valley
  • Turkey Flat Vineyards Barossa Valley
  • Ulithorne McLaren Vale
  • Valhalla Rutherglen
  • Vinelea Beechworth
  • Wanted Man Heathcote
  • Warner Vineyard Beechworth
  • Warrabilla Wines Rutherglen
  • Warramunda Estate Yarra Valley
  • Witches Falls Winery Granite Belt
  • Wrattonbully Vineyards Wrattonbully
  • Wren Wines Heathcote
  • Yalumba Wine Company Eden Valley
  • Yarra Glen Yarra Valley
  • Yeringberg Yarra Valley
Page updated 23 Aug 2023

Some award wining Marsanne wines

At the 2021 Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show  one gold, three silver and three bronze medals were won by a total of 10 entries. The gold medals was won by Tahbilk 2015 "1927 Vines" Marsanne.


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Marsanne and food

Marsanne is quite versatile in food pairing.  Lighter styles and younger wines are great on their own on a warm afternoon.

More robust and aged styles are best with food. They are suitable with richer seafood dishes, creamy based pasta sauces and chicken or veal dishes. Aged Marsanne could be used in any food pairing situation where the recommended wine is Chardonnay.

Evan Goldstein in Daring Pairings has plenty of recommendations and advice for food pairing with Marsanne including a recipe for veal chops served with Aligot - a side dish prepared from mashed potato, Cantal cheese and white wine - Marsanne of course.

See the full list of varieties described on this site

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