🍇 Marsanne

Marsanne is a white wine grape most often linked with the northern Rhône in France; Wikipedia traces it to the village of Marsanne in the Drôme department. In France it covered 1,266 ha in 2006 (VIVC). In Saint-Péray, under the EU single document, its wines have floral notes of violet, hawthorn and acacia, and mineral and honeyed ones with age.

In Hermitage the specification permits only Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne; white varieties, mainly Marsanne, grow on limestone soils. White "vin de paille" from dried grapes is allowed only for still white wines. In Saint-Péray, which lies in two communes of the Ardèche, Saint-Péray and Toulaud, only Marsanne and Roussanne are permitted; both go equally into dry white and sparkling wines, and Roussanne takes up only 8% of the area (2010).

Saint-Péray wines are "gras et ronds", full and round, with lively acidity. Still wines have natural alcohol of at least 10.5% and sugar of no more than 4 g/l; sparkling wines at least 9% alcohol. As early as the late 15th century, documents of this region distinguished "vinum album", a white wine offered to honored guests.

According to Wikipedia, in Australia Marsanne was first planted in Victoria in the 1860s, and in Switzerland (Valais) it is called Ermitage. If it is too hot the wine turns flabby, if too cool it turns bland, so the grapes are picked a little before full ripeness.

Why it matters to you. Saint-Péray and Hermitage are appellations where Marsanne is the main white. It and Roussanne were confused even in the past because of the similar leaves and bunches, so on the label look at the appellation name, not only at the variety.