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Although one of the most prestigious white grapes of the Rh\\xf4ne Valley, Roussanne is relatively unknown given its penchant for making aromatic, complex, full yet acidic wines. Often used as a blending partner with Marsanne or even with Syrah in its native northern Rh\\xf4ne, the grape shines alone in certain versions from Ch\\xe2teauneuf du Pape, California, Australia, and a handful of other places around the world. In this show we examine the majesty of this grape, which makes extraordinary wines that you should be drinking!

Photo credit: Roussanne - Geshem winery.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Here are the show notes

• Roussanne was named for \\u201croux\\u201d, the French word for \\u201crusset\\u201d \\u2013 which describes the grapes\\u2019 reddish golden color when they are fully ripe
• Likely native to the northern Rh\\xf4ne, Roussanne is related to Marsanne, its blending partner for the famed northern Rh\\xf4ne whites in Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, and Saint-Joseph
• Although it has verged on extinction a few times because it is so challenging in the vineyard, Roussanne continues to be an important part of whites (and reds) in the northern Rh\\xf4ne and elsewhere because few grapes can rival the combination of structure and aromatics

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Roussanne Flavors

• Roussanne has aromas and flavors of pear, honey, and herbal tea (Chamomile or lemon verbena). It can be like jasmine, iris, honeysuckle and other white flowers. The wine is distinctly minerally with green herb notes and some are more like apricot and peach
• Roussanne is distinctive because it has a mouth-filling, oily, fuller body but always exhibits characteristic acidity. With age appears softer and shows nutty, marzipan, and creamy notes. The wine can age 15 or more years and still be excellent

Roussanne in the vineyard and cellar

• Roussanne is a real challenge to grow \\u2013 the people who make wine from it are often small producters who treat it as a passion project \\u2013 demand for the wines isn\\u2019t high and growing it can be an exercise in frustration
• Yields are irregular, ripening can be uneven, the grape is susceptible to mildew, rot and pests, and according to Tablas Creek in Paso Robles, California, who grows a large proportion of the grape in the United States, the grape can shut down as it is ripening, lose leaves and turn yellow, never to recover from this issue
• The grape does well on poor, stony calcareous-clay soils that are well-drained but it can\\u2019t take wind or drought. Too much heat can cause the sugar to spike and make the resulting wine too alcoholic without balanced acidic. On the flip side, picking too early leads to excessively acidic wine that lacks balancing body
• Roussanne needs a long, consistent season \\u2013 it demands it to make the best wines
• In the cellar, Roussanne is pretty easy going and versatile. It can make great wine when fermented in any type of vessel and with limited oak aging, its textures can be even smoother and the wines can be more complex

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Roussanne regions...

France

Northern Rh\\xf4ne:

• The native home of the grape, Roussanne is used as a blending partner with Marsanne in the whites of Hermtiage, Crozes Hermitage, and Saint-Joseph. It can also be blended into the reds (Syrah) of those areas but is usually a small percentage of those wines (no more than 10-15%), if used at all. Roussanne is also used in the still and sparkling wines of Saint-P\\xe9ray. There is much more Marsanne than Roussanne planted in the northern Rh\\xf4ne because it is so much easier to grow, but Roussanne continues to play a big role in the wines because it is so high quality

Southern Rh\\xf4ne

• Roussanne shines in Ch\\xe2teauneuf du Pape blanc. Marsanne is not permitted in the appellation, so Roussanne shines on its own or when blended with Grenache Blanc, Bourbolenc and other grapes. The most famous example of a pure Roussanne in the region is the white of Ch\\xe2teau de Beaucastel
• C\\xf4tes du Rh\\xf4ne, C\\xf4tes du Rh\\xf4ne Villages whites, Costi\\xe8res de N\\xeemes, Luberon, Ventoux and many other appellations use Roussanne in blends

Other French areas

• Roussanne is used in blends in the Languedoc and Roussillon, the Loire, and in Provence

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Savoie

• In this Alpine region the grape is called Bergeron and its wines are from the appellation Chignin Bergeron. The wine is peppery with fresh aroma of green mountain herbs, and although it has higher acidity and lower alcohol than other French versions, the wine still has excellent aroma and a soft, cheek-coating texture

Outside of France

• Italy: Liguria, Toscana
• Portugal: Alentejo
• Canada
• Israel
• South Africa
• Australia: Came to the continent in 1882 and is used in blends in both whites and reds

The US

• Growing in Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington state (shows great potential)
• In California: Came in the 1870s but it was hard to grow so acreage declined, and it wasn\\u2019t revived until the 1990s when Tablas Creek (a partnership with Ch\\xe2teau de Beaucastel, so clippings were easy to come by) and Alban propagated new cuttings of Roussanne. Today there are over 300 acres planted in California, mainly in the Central Coast, with some in Napa, Lodi, and some other spots.
• Wineries producing Roussanne in blends or alone are: Alban Vineyards, Anglim Winery, Acquiescece in Lodi, Bonny Doon Winery, Cass Winery, Halter Ranch Vineyard, , JC Cellars, McCrea Cellars, Qupe, Stolpman Vineyards, Tablas Creek, Truchard Vineyard, Zaca Mesa

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Credit to Tablas Creek for providing so much information on their blog. Links from their blog:

1. Tablas Creek blog: Grapes/Roussanne

2. Tablas Creek blog: A Symposium on Roussanne

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Other Sources:

• Truchard Vineyards
• Wine Grapes, by Jancis Robinson
• Grapes & Wine, Margaret Rand, Oz Clarke
• The Wine Cellar Insider

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