Last week I focused on the white wine varietal roussanne, and this week we\u2019ll take a look at marsanne, a grape with many similarities.<\/p>\n
Like roussanne, marsanne is thought to have originated in the Rh\u00f4ne Valley of France. It\u2019s also used primarily for blending purposes, especially with roussanne and viognier, and it\u2019s somewhat viscous with a waxy, oily mouthfeel. Along with roussanne, it is one of a handful of white wines that can be cellared for long periods of time.<\/p>\n
The grape\u2019s characteristics generally include pleasant nutty, herbal aromatics and flavors along with melon and citrus fruits. It\u2019s also low in alcohol with moderate acidity, making it a terrific wine to pair most seafood \u2013 particularly lobster and scallops \u2013 roasted vegetables such as butternut squash, and pasta and risotto served with a touch of heavy cream.<\/p>\n
Surprisingly, most of the world\u2019s marsanne is now grown in Australia, but it\u2019s also caught on domestically, with small plantings in both California and Washington. You\u2019re likely to find it in the Northwest as part of a blend, but it\u2019s also bottled on its own by a small, but increasing number of wineries.<\/p>\n
My advice is to have fun with this wine. It can range anywhere from subtle and reserved to big and assertive and chances are, if you\u2019ve never tried it, you\u2019ll find it to be unlike many of the other mainstream white wines you\u2019re accustomed to.<\/p>\n
Here are some marsannes I\u2019ve enjoyed as of late for you to consider:<\/p>\n
Mount Baker Vineyards 2008 Proprietor\u2019s Limited Release Marsanne<\/strong> (about $8) \u2013 This is a prime example of an older vintage that\u2019s holding up beautifully while some white wines from this time frame are past their prime. Brilliant golden color, gentle pear, allspice and nutmeg on the palate, and a big, viscous mouthfeel. Currently available at the winery tasting room, Ferndale Haggen, and The Market at Birch Bay at a blowout, bargain price.<\/p>\n Treana Winery 2009 White Wine <\/strong>(about $22) \u2013 I sampled this 50\/50 blend of marsanne and viognier at the Vancouver BC Playhouse Wine Festival in March, and it was love at first sip. Peach and floral aromatics, pineapple and dried apricot flavors, a seductive, lengthy honey-like finish and just the right touch of minerality combine to make this spectacular wine from California\u2019s Central Coast region.<\/p>\n Alexandria Nicole 2010 Destiny Ridge Vineyards Marsanne <\/strong>(about $28) \u2013 From Washington\u2019s Horse Heaven Hills Appellation, this exquisite marsanne features plenty of melon, peach and nectarine flavors. The long, plush finish is capped with hints of hazelnut and spicy accents.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last week I focused on the white wine varietal roussanne, and this week we\u2019ll take a look at marsanne, a grape with many similarities. Like roussanne, marsanne is thought to have originated in the Rh\u00f4ne Valley of France. It\u2019s also used primarily for blending purposes, especially with roussanne and viognier, and it\u2019s somewhat viscous with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-from-the-bellingham-herald"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=718"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":719,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/718\/revisions\/719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}