The white grape variety originates from France. It is probably named after the commune of the same name in the department of Drôme. Synonyms are Avilleran, Avilleron, Ermitage, Ermitage Blanc, Ermitazh, Hermitage, Grosse Roussette, Johannisberg, Malvasia Bianca di Lucania, Marsan, Marsanne Belyi, Marsanne Blanche, Marsanne Drome, Marzanne, Metternich, Rousseau, Roussette Grosse, Roussette Saint-Péray, White Hermitage and Zrmitazh. It must not be confused with the Roussanne variety (Petite Roussette), with which there is a parent-offspring relationship according to DNA analyses carried out in 2010, despite seemingly suggestive synonyms or morphological similarities.
The medium-maturing, high-yielding vine is susceptible to powdery mildew and botrytis. It produces full-bodied, golden-yellow white wines with moderate acidity and diverse aromas of almond, honeysuckle and pear. The variety was first mentioned in 1781 in a text about the white wine varieties of the Hermitage region. It is mainly grown in the Rhône, where it is permitted in the Côtes du Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage, Gigondas, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Saint-Péray areas (but not Châteauneuf-du-Pape). It is often blended with Roussanne and/or Viognier. Marsanne is one of the varieties in the Rhône recipe typical of the region. In France, it occupies a total of 1,484 hectares.
There are further areas under cultivation in Argentina (2 ha), Australia (161 ha), Chile (18 ha), Italy, for example in the DOC wine Colli Piacentini (47 ha), Canada (3 ha), New Zealand (0.2 ha), South Africa (21 ha), Switzerland (48 ha), Uruguay (1 ha) and in the USA in California and Washington. In 2016, a total of 1,838 hectares of vineyards were designated (Kym Anderson).
Source: Wine Grapes / J. Robinson, J. Harding, J. Vouillamoz / Penguin Books Ltd. 2012.
Images: Ursula Brühl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI)
