Roussanne & blends

Overview

Roussanne is named after its skin colour, a gold-reddish which in French is referred to as ‘roux’ and needs a long warm growing season to ripen fully. Roussanne’s heartland is the north of the Rhone Valley, where it is thought to have originated but also where the majority of plantings are today. Roussanne is, alongside Marsanne, a core component of northern Rhone white blends from Saint-Joseph, Hermitage, and Crozes-Hermitage. In the southern Rhone, it is occasionally used in small quantities in Chateauneuf-du-Pape blends. Small plantings are found in Victoria, Australia, and on the Central Coast of California.  

Typical Blends and Winemaking 

In Roussanne’s heartland, the northern Rhone Valley, it is mostly blended with Marsanne in making Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage blends. Inert vessels are used for fermentation and ageing. In Victoria, Australia and the Central Coast of California, very small plantings are found, and here the grape is mostly made unblended and to a degree aged in new oak barrels.

• Roussanne – Marsanne
• Roussanne (100%)

Typical aromas and flavours

Apricot, herbal tea, chamomile, bread, lemon.

Food matching

Full-bodied wines made from Roussanne, either blended or varietal, goes well with grilled white fish and roasted white meat like chicken, turkey, and rabbit. It is also a very tasty partner with paella, bouillabaisse, and French onion soup, plus alongside a selection of richer shellfish such as lobster and scallops. Roussanne served cool can be a delicious crisp aperitif, particularly when served with Parma ham, olives, or arancini.