Roussanne white wine variety: Marsanne's elegant sister
Roussanne wines are often described as more elegant than those of better known Marsanne. In the vineyard the variety is less popular because of its lack of hardiness and susceptibility to powdery mildew.
The aromas of Roussanne are often likened to those of herbal tea and pears. With age the floral notes in the aroma are replaced with more complex characters. Like its sister this variety ages very well, give it five or even ten years bottle age.
In Australia this variety is made into varietal wines and is often blended with Marsanne, or occasionally in a three way blend with Viognier. Yerringberg in the Yarra Valley makes outstanding wine from Roussanne. It needs extended bottle age.
In the Northern Rhone the variety is used in blends with Marsanne to make white Hermitage wines, it is also used as a component of the red wines of Chateauneuf du Pape. Roussanne is becoming increasingly popular in several other regions of Southern France including Provence and the Languedoc and Roussillon wine regions. It is also a favourite variety among the 'Rhone Rangers' of California, and there are some plantings in Northern Italy.
Some Australian wineries that are using this white wine variety are
- All Saints Estate Rutherglen
- Belgravia Vineyards Orange
- Bellbrae Estate Geelong
- Brown Brothers King Valley
- Campbells Wines Rutherglen
- Cape Mentelle Margaret River
- Cascabel McLaren Vale
- Catspaw Farm Granite Belt
- Chambers Rosewood Rutherglen
- Counterpoint Vineyard Pyrenees
- D'Arenberg McLaren Vale
- Djinta Djinta Gippsland
- Galvanized Wine Group McLaren Vale
- Giaconda Beechworth
- Gilligan McLaren Vale
- Goona Warra Vineyard Sunbury
- Jerusalem Hollow Margaret River
- Kabminye Wines Barossa Valley
- Kirwans Bridge Wines Nagambie Lakes
- Lillian Pemberton
- Lowe Family Wines Mudgee
- Mary Byrnes Wines Granite Belt
- McHenry Hohnen Margaret River
- McIvor Estate Heathcote
- Mitchelton Nagambie Lakes
- Penny's Hill McLaren Vale
- Seppelt Great Western Grampians
- Snobs Creek Wines Upper Goulburn
- St Huberts Yarra Valley
- Tahbilk Nagambie Lakes
- Tallarook Wines Upper Goulburn
- Terra Felix Upper Goulburn
- Torbreck Vintners Barossa Valley
- Waterwheel Wines Bendigo
- Wombats Run King Valley
- Wood Park King Valley
- Yangarra Estate McLaren Vale
- Yeringberg Yarra Valley
- Zonte's Footstep Langhorne Creek
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