Marsanne - Utility or Unique?

Predominantly grown in the northern Rhone Valley, to produce the famous Crozes-Hermitage and Hermitage wine, the Marsanne wine grape is more widely used than you would initially think.

Commonly used in blends with its more arguably popular partner Roussanne, Marsanne rarely gets the opportunity to showcase itself as a single-varietal due to the required precision in its growth. If it is too cool, it fails to ripen fully, and too hot, it can over ripen. This can make Marsanne seem more for utility, not allowing it's unique character to be dominant in wine making. In recent years this balance has been achieved in the Languedoc region, where our featured wines are from.

Marsanne may, however, be considered as unique because of some of its rare features. This grape produces powerful wines with medium acidity and great ageing ability. Lacking depth of flavours, Marsanne leaves the debate as to whether it is merely utility or whether its features are wholly unique.

Our 100% Marsanne grape wine is produced by Domaine Villepeyroux Forest, a vineyard located in the very heart of the Minervois region in the Languedoc. The estate boasts 40 hectares of vines planted on half slopes of clay-limestone soil, with Marselan being one of a dozen grape varieties grown on the land. Initially the Marsanne gives you a greeting yellow colour with light golden hues, clear and bright. The intense nose speaks with aromas of citrus and candied fruit that mingle with finely spicy notes. The palate is full and wide, perfectly balanced by the remarkable acidity of the Marsanne grape. 

Only 4,375 bottles are produced within the year by the Villepeyroux Forest  vineyard, making it a true 'limited edition' production! When serving, we recommend at least an hours breathing for this wine, decanting if possible. With food, we advise pairing it with white meats to complement.