White grapeSommo grape guide

Marsanne

Marsanne wine guide: what this white grape tastes like, where it comes from, the regions that grow it, and what to eat with it.

Colour
White
Body
Medium-full
Origin
France
Top region
Hermitage
4
Key regions
3
Pairings
5
Synonyms

Marsanne is a white grape variety, with its roots in Rhône Valley, France.

The wines show medium-full body, no tannin, medium acidity, dry and medium alcohol.

The tasting note runs to honeysuckle, melon, earth and minerality.

It is planted most seriously in Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Saint-Péray.

In the vineyard it is marked by mid ripening, vigorous vigour and a preference for prefers cooler climates for optimal acidity.

It blends readily with Roussanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc.

On other labels it goes by Marsana, Ermitage, Ermitage Blanc and Grosse Roussette.

At the table it suits pan-fried trout with almonds, soba noodles with salmon and sesame seeds and baked eggplant with crème fraîche.

The structure.

Body
Medium-full
Tannin
None
Acidity
Medium
Sweetness
Dry
Alcohol
Medium
Flavours
honeysucklemelonearth
Aromas
minerality
Styles
dry whitesweet white

Where it grows.

Blends well with.

Food pairings.

01 Pan-fried Trout with Almonds
02 Soba Noodles with Salmon and Sesame Seeds
03 Baked Eggplant with Crème Fraîche

Also labelled.

Marsana, Ermitage, Ermitage Blanc, Grosse Roussette, Hermitage.

Bottles to look for.

  • Domaine Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage Blanc, Rhone, France
  • Domaine Alain Voge Saint-Peray Fleur de Crussol, Rhone, France
  • Domaine Bernard Gripa Saint-Joseph Le Berceau Blanc, Rhone, France
  • Domaine Coursodon Saint-Joseph Silice Blanc, Rhone, France
  • Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Vin de Paille, Rhone, France
  • Domaine Marc Sorrel Hermitage Blanc, Rhone, France
  • E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage Blanc, Rhone, France
  • E. Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto Blanc, Rhone, France

Marsanne: common questions

01.
What does Marsanne taste like?
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Marsanne tastes of honeysuckle, melon, earth and minerality. The wines show medium-full body, no tannin, medium acidity, dry and medium alcohol.
02.
Where is Marsanne from?
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Marsanne originates in Rhône Valley, France.
03.
Where is Marsanne grown?
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The key regions for Marsanne are Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Saint-Péray.
04.
What food pairs with Marsanne?
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Pour it with pan-fried trout with almonds, soba noodles with salmon and sesame seeds and baked eggplant with crème fraîche.
05.
What else is Marsanne called?
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Marsanne is also labelled Marsana, Ermitage, Ermitage Blanc, Grosse Roussette and Hermitage.

Keep going: the A to Z grape index, or the wine regions of France.

Grapes in the app

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