Marsanne White Wine Variety

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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.

Australian Wineries Using Marsanne Wine Variety

Akrasi Wines Central Victoria Zone
All Saints Estate Rutherglen
Angullong Wines Orange
Arlewood Estate Margaret River
Armstead Estate Heathcote
Banca Ridge Granite Belt
Barwon Ridge Wines Geelong
Battely Wines Beechworth
Beechtree Wines McLaren Vale
Beelgara Estate Riverina
Belgrave Park Winery South Coast Zone
Bents Road Granite Belt
Bianchet Yarra Valley
Bimbadgen Estate Hunter Valley
Botobolar Mudgee
Brumfield Yarra Valley
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
Djinta Djinta Gippsland
Dogrock Winery Pyrenees
Gilligan McLaren Vale
Goulburn Terrace Nagambie Lakes
Growlers Gully Upper Goulburn
Hanging Rock Winery Macedon Ranges
Happs Margaret River
Harman's Ridge Estate Margaret River
Heathcote Winery Heathcote
Hidden Creek Granite Belt
Honey Moon Vineyard Adelaide Hills
Jarrets of Orange Orange
Jinks Creek Winery Gippsland
Jones Winery and Vineyard Rutherglen
Kooroomba Queensland Zone
Lillian Pemberton
Lindenton Wines Heathcote
Little's Winery Hunter Valley
Little River Wines Swan Valley
M. Chapoutier Australia Mount Benson
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
Munari 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
Steinborner Family Vineyards Barossa Valley
Stone Ridge Granite Belt
Stumpy Gully Mornington Peninsula
Summit Estate Granite Belt
Tahbilk Nagambie Lakes
Tallarook Wines Upper Goulburn
Tamburlaine Hunter Valley
Tawonga Vineyard Alpine Valleys
Tempus Two Hunter Valley
Terra Felix Upper Goulburn
Three Moon Creek Queensland Zone
Torbreck Vintners Barossa Valley
Tulloch Hunter Valley
Turkey Flat Vineyards Barossa Valley
Valhalla Wines Rutherglen
Wandoo Farm Central Western Australian Zone
Wanted Man Heathcote
Waratah Vineyard Queensland Zone
Warrabilla Wines Rutherglen
Winewood Granite Belt
Wirruna Estate North East Victoria
Witches Falls Winery Granite Belt
Woop Woop Wines McLaren Vale
Wrattonbully Vineyards Wrattonbully
Yalumba Wine Company Barossa Valley
Yarra Glen Yarra Valley
Yering Station Yarra Valley
Yeringberg Yarra Valley

Food Pairing With Marsanne

Marsanne usually fills the gap between lighter style whites and rough coarser and oaked wines. Younger Marssanne wines are perhaps best served with seafood dishes, or lighter white meats such as poached chicken.

Aged Marsanne can be paired with roast chicken, veal or seafood dishes with a heavier sauce, or perhaps you could enjoy a chilled glass with a crisp apple and some soft cheese.

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