Roussanne

  • Aromas and Flavors: not as overtly fruity as some types, suggest wild flowers or herbal tea
  • Highly acidic
  • Can be thin and tart and is not often bottled on its own in Europe, being blended with Marsanne in the Rhône and in other areas with Chardonnay
  • Performs well using barrel fermentation and oak aging and some California winemakers release varietal bottlings
  • Gives irregular yields and tends to uneven and late ripening
  • Has little resistance to powdery mildew and rot and is easily damaged by wind and drought
  • By selecting and propogating only the least problematic clones, vintners have preserved Roussanne for two primary reasons: unique aroma and bracing acidity
  • Roussanne probably gets its name from the light-brownish russet cast of its ripe berries
  • The only other white variety, besides Marsanne, allowed in France’s mostly-red-wine-producing northern Rhône appellations of Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage and St. Joseph
  • It is also grown in Châteauneuf-du-Pape to the south
  • Limited plantings in Italy’s Liguria and Tuscany and also in Australia