Roussanne

Roussanne

Roussanne grape is the most unpopular grape among the other varietal grapes. most of the vineyardist wish it be extinct. this is due to the fact that Roussanne is the most uncooperative vine. it mainly gets its name from the rustic color of the ripe berries, ROUX, is the French name for the russet color of the ripe berries. the reminiscent aroma of the wine is flowery like herbal tea and not overtly fruity like other wines.. it is one of the only other varieties of white vine to be allowed to grow in Rhone’s appellations of Croze-Hermitage; Hermitage and St.Joseph, which is predominately red-whine producing areas.

It is a very difficult variety to grow, has poor resistance to mildew,drought,wind and it rots easily and gets damaged by these factors. at times also results into late or early and uneven ripening and gives irregular yields. The vintners by selectively choosing the clones and propagating them, are successful in preserving this variety for basically two most important reasons, i.e. unique aroma and bracing acidity.

Roussanne is thin and tart in flavor. it is very rarely bottled on its own and primarily blended with Marsanne or Chardonnay. but some California winemakers do release its varietal bottling.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
The wineries always take care to harvest the grapes at right time so that the alcohol level is not too high .generally when harvested late the wine tends to contains higher acidic level.

Region

Roussanne, most probably originated in the Northern Rhone, where it used for both still and sparkling wine production. although in the recent years its production has declined due to more preferred Marsanne wine. this is because Marsanne has high productivity and the ease of cultivation.
Roussanne is included as the main components of southern Rhone’s white wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape,where it forms 80-100% of the wine.
Outside Rhone, it is produced in Provence and Languedoc region, where it is often blended with Chardonnay, Vermentino  and Marsanne.

Outside of France

Roussanne is grown in Italian regions of Liguria and Tuscany.
In Australia
Roussanne is often blended with Shiraz. also it is used as blending as well as a varietal.
In California
Roussanne is widely planted in Central Coat AVA and some regions of northern Yuba County.
In Washington
Since 1990 when the first vine of Roussanne was planted by White Heron Cellars in Ridge and Destiny Ridge, the plantings have increased. This was mainly due to the winemakers who were experimenting on the Rhone varietal.

Taste Profile

Wines made from Roussanne are characterized by their intense aromatics which includes notes of herbal tea. When young it shows more floral, herbal and fruit notes, like pears that they become more nutty as it ages.
Synonyms

Roussanne probably gets its name from the light-brownish russet cast of its ripe berries.
Its Synonyms include
• Courtoisie,
• Remoulette,
• Roussane,
• Roussane Blanc,
• Roussanne Blanc,
• Greffon,
• reffou,
• Barbin,
• Martin Cot,
• Petite Rousette,
• Picotin Blanc,
• Plant de Seyssel,
• Rabellot,
• Fromental,
• Fromental Jaune,
• Fromenteal,
• Rabelot
• Ramoulette,
• Roussette,
• Rusan Belyi,
• Rusan Blan.

Food Pairing
This wine is a good choice to serve with dishes containing shellfish, especially oysters and crab. It also works well with chowder, but is not a good choice to pair with spicy dishes, such as Oriental cuisine.