Marsanne is a white wine grape originally grown in the northern Rhône wine region in France, where it is frequently blended with Roussanne. In fact, these are the only two white varietals allowed in the northern Rhône appellations of Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph.
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Glenn McGourty (left), owner of Spirit Canyon Vineyards, formerly served as the Winegrowing and Plant Science Advisor for the University of California Cooperative Extension in Mendocino and Lake Counties. A longtime advocate for sustainable farming, he has championed the use of cover crops in vineyards throughout his career.
We fermented and aged sur lie
this White Roan in a 760-gallon oak oval, like the one Ted is standing in front of. ![[below]](/images/buttons/arrow_down.gif)
The grapes require a warmer climate than Anderson Valley; consequently, we source these grapes from Spirit Canyon Vineyard located near the hills east of Ukiah. The Marsanne and Roussanne grapes were harvested on the same day, which gave us the opportunity to co-ferment the two varieties. The grapes were destemmed and pressed, and the juice from the two varieties was cool fermented in a French oak oval and then aged
sur lie in the same cask for eight months. The combination of co-fermentation and extended
sur lie aging produced a wine as bright as a summer day with dazzling texture and flavors suggesting hazelnut, pear and citrus.
Gold Medal winner. 92 points.
